David Hosley, president of the Great Valley Center, hosts the new "GREAT VALLEY" series for Valley Public Television. Photo courtesy of The Great Valley Center

Logo courtesy of KVPT, Valley Public Television

By Stacey Shepard, Great Valley Center

The fertile Central Valley boasts the richest agricultural economy on earth, yet bears the burden of rampant unemployment, low education levels and pervasive poverty. Over the next four decades, the region’s population is expected to double to nearly 8 million people. Without action now, these problems will only grow in size.

To shine a spotlight on these issues, the Great Valley Center and KVPT-Valley Public Television have joined forces on a new public affairs series called “GREAT VALLEY,” which premiers Friday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

In each weekly half-hour episode, this new series will explore solutions to the economic, social and environmental challenges facing the Central Valley.

Topics for the series’ first season include population growth, health care, land use, the environment, education, employment, civic and social engagement, agriculture and the arts. Though wide-ranging, each topic is an issue that cities across the Central Valley are grappling with every day.

In addition to airing on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., each episode repeats Fridays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. In Bakersfield, KVPT airs on channel 18.1 and Brighthouse Cable channel 18.

The series will be hosted by David Hosley, president of the Great Valley Center, a nonprofit organization that supports activities and organizations benefiting the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Central Valley.

“Providing a platform to discuss solutions to local issues is our primary objective with ‘GREAT VALLEY,’” Hosley said. “While the economy, for example, is a focus of the national news media, our objective is to offer clarity on how we are affected at the local level – and more importantly what can we do about it.”

The series will feature a companion website at GreatValley.tv, where viewers can find additional resources and join the discussion after each episode.

The series joins KVPT’s Friday news and information block, absent a local presence since “VALLEY PRES”S aired its last episode nearly 18 months ago when long-time host Jim Tucker retired.

“Every week we hear from our viewers how much they miss having a program that delves into local issues,” said KVPT President and CEO Paula Castadio. “We’ve taken great care to ensure ‘GREAT VALLEY’ exceeds the standard for viewers who are looking for information on the issues that matter most to us.”