Funds waylay KCET series

Lack of funding has led “California Connected,” the KCET-produced newsmagazine, to cancel its sixth season, but executive producer Bret Marcus said the award-winning program wasn’t down for the count.

“It’s really on extended hiatus,” Marcus said. “We’ll be back.”

Ratings had increased 43% last season, and cancellation of funds, announced Friday on the show’s website, was disappointing but not surprising.

“A number of foundations were saying for a while their support would not continue,” Marcus said.

The original sponsors will continue to fund the “California Connected” crew’s production of a one-hour special on the state during WWII to accompany a Ken Burns series scheduled to air over PBS stations in September.