"The Maddy Report," a 30-minute locally produced public affairs television show, launches at 9 p.m. Saturday on KSEE, Channel 24.

The program is a joint venture of the local NBC station and the Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno.

The institute, established in 1999 by the California Legislature, provides nonpartisan analysis of public policy issues. The institute’s Web site says it also provides training for local officials and civic leaders.

Mark Keppler, Maddy Institute executive director and moderator of the TV show, explains that the institute is part think tank, part leadership institute and an encourager of civic participation.

"Part of the mission of the institute is that we want to focus on fact-based analysis of the area where we live. What we are trying to do is focus on the facts. By doing so, we hope to be able to encourage bipartisan solutions to the challenges we face," Keppler says of the reason for the launch of the public-affairs TV show.

There will be five shows this year. The plan is to expand into the Bakersfield, Sacramento and Redding markets by looking at such regional issues as immigration, air pollution and water.

The initial program, "The State Bond Proposal: What Could It Mean for the Valley?" features Assemblyman Juan Arambula; Assemblyman David Cogdill; Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee columnist; Don Jackson, chairman of The Maddy Institute; Diana Dooley, general counsel and vice president of Children’s Hospital Central California; and Jim Boren, editorial page editor of The Fresno Bee. For more info about The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute, call (559) 294-9119 or go to www.maddyinstitute.org.

Honored

KFSN, Channel 30, was awarded two Emmys at the 35th Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards held May 20 in San Francisco. The region includes television stations from Visalia to the Oregon border plus Reno, Nev., and Hawaii.

The local ABC station won the Emmy in the excellence in evening newscast-medium market category for its "ABC 30 Action News Live at 11."

The station also collected the Emmy for excellence in daytime newscasts for its "ABC 30 Action News AM Live."

The two Emmys go along with the three Emmy awards for KFSN announced before the ceremonies.

Moving on

"It’s a very cute family movie and best of all, it won’t be canceled," the ever-optimistic Gorham says.

Other news

Special program: KVPR, FM 89.1, will broadcast a program featuring some of the letters written by Armenian artist Arshile Gorky to his family.

The 15-minute program will air at 10 a.m. today; 2 p.m. Friday; 12:06 p.m. Saturday; and 9:06 a.m. Sunday. An exhibit of Gorky’s art work continues through June 4 at the Fresno Art Museum.

On the block? The Associated Press is reporting that CBS Corp. will consider selling 39 radio stations it owns in 10 smaller markets. That would include the seven CBS Radio stations in Fresno. Those stations are: KWYE, FM 101.1; KSKS, FM 93.7; KFJK, FM 105.9; KFPT, AM 790; KMJ, AM 580; KMGV, FM 97.9; and KOQO, FM 101.9.

CBS Radio owns 179 stations in 39 markets.