"Produced for KCET's critically acclaimed weekly, single-subject public affairs series, BY THE YEAR 2000, our entry (3, 1/2-hours and a culminating one-hour special), aired in April 1990, is focused on an issue profoundly affecting Southern California and its future: Los Angeles County's changing class structure and the economic schisms that separate various segments of society. Hosted by Val Zavala and Joseph Benti, BY THE YEAR 2000 features field-produced documentary segments and in-studio discussions with community leaders. "The month was launched with 'The Waning Class', a disturbing look at how middle class is being squeezed out of the employment market, a market featuring mostly high or low end jobs. Next, 'A Class By Itself' focused on LA's upper echelon, those [benefiting] from the right education and expertise, and Southern California's emergence as a financial hub in a global marketplace. The third documentary, 'The Underclass', probed the conditions that have created communities of Los Angeles residents who are more and more disconnected from the mainstream of society. The month concluded with 'The Have/Have-not Society', a one-hour special that examined why the gulf between rich and poor Los Angeles is widening and what must be done to reverse the trend. "Our entry exemplifies KCET's continuing commitment to local, documentary public affairs programming that not only provides context and analysis to reporting on community problems, but gives voice to many diverse ideas and possible solutions."1990 Peabody Awards entry form.
