KCET show partners with Annenberg School journalists

KCET's SoCal Connected today announced a partnership with the News21 team at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Tomorrow they launch a web-based, multimedia project, "Dream Interrupted: California in Crisis." Reports will focus on the economy, education, transportation, housing and government in five areas of the state. News21 is part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education.

Meet him in St. Louis, Louis: Proffitt to depart Alaska

Pubcaster and blogger John Proffitt is leaving his home of nine years, Anchorage, Alaska, and venturing back to the Lower 48 and KETC in St. Louis. He's taking a new position at the station, director of digital engagement. In a post at his blog Gravity Medium, Proffitt said that over the past few years, KETC has "embarked on a remarkable transformation, developing closer relationships with their community and using media to solve problems." He cited its collaboration with the nonprof news site the St. Louis Beacon, now housed in the station (Current, March 30, 2009), and its multi-media and outreach work on the mortage and economic crisis (Current, July 14, 2008). Proffitt takes his new position in early March.

Longtime pubcaster Fred Flaxman writes memoirs

Longtime producer and station exec Fred Flaxman has written a "tongue-in-cheek" memoir of his life in broadcasting, Sixty Slices of Life ... on Wry: The Private Life of a Public Broadcaster (Story Book Publishing). Flaxman is currently producer and presenter of classical music program Compact Discoveries, distributed by PRX. He worked as v.p. for national programming at WTTW in Chicago and spent time in management at KUAT-TV in Tucson, Southern Oregon Public Television, and WXEL in West Palm Beach, Fla. So no doubt he has plenty to talk about in his book.