This Week in Northern California offers insightful, thought-provoking roundtable discussions and news analysis of the latest political topics. Bay Area reporters from diverse media outlets throughout the region open their notebooks to give an inside look at the stories behind the headlines every Friday night. This Week... debuted on KQED in February 1990 with journalist Ginger Casey as host. In 1993, award-winning broadcast journalist Belva Davis became the host.

About the Staff

Belva Davis, Host
Belva Davis is an awards winning journalist with over three decades of television experience. She has anchored news programs at KPIX-TV, KQED Public Television 9 and KRON-TV. She has been the host of This Week in Northern California for more than 14 years. Davis has received several dozen awards for her journalism, including national recognition from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Ohio State, San Francisco State, and the National Education Writers Association. Most recently she was honored with the first Jefferson-Lincoln Award for Journalists by the Panetta Institute. She has won seven local Emmys, a Certificate of Excellence from the California Association Press Television and Radio Association and three honorary Doctorates for her television work and community service--the first from John F. Kennedy University, the Golden Gate University and Sonoma State University.

She was the first African American woman hired to work as a television news reporter on the West Coast, and has long been and inspiration for professional and aspiring journalist. Belva Davis demonstrates her community involvement by being a board member for community non-profits, labor activist and support of cultural institutions.

Jon Fromer, Producer
Jon Fromer has been producing quality television programming in the Bay Area for 3 decades (23 years at KRON-TV and the last 7 years at KQED). Fromer's programs have received high ratings from devoted viewers as well as his peers in the broadcast industry. He has won many local and national awards including 11 Northern California Emmys for work ranging from news commentary/analysis to documentaries, youth programs, music videos and musical composition. His programs have won 2 Iris awards from NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives), 2 Broadcast Industry Awards for local news, and Golden and Silver Apples from the National Educational Film and Video Festival.

Katherine Russell, Director
Katherine Russell is an independent director with 20 years experience in live and taped television production. Currently, and for the past ten years, she has directed This Week... for KQED. In addition to live roundtable discussions, Russell's credits include audience participation talk and variety programs, dramatic and musical performances, and hundred of episodes of culinary television airing worldwide. Raised in Europe and educated at Columbia University in New York, Russell's background in theatrical production led her to television, where her enthusiasm and sharp eye for detail proved useful. She finds the challenge of live television exhilarating, especially now as the medium becomes increasingly interactive.

Robin Epstein, Associate Producer

Michael Isip, Vice President for Television Content and Education Network
Michael Isip has been covering state politics and government for 6 years. He is a two-time winner of the Award for Excellence in Television Coverage of Politics and State Government from the Center for California Studies. His credits at KQED include overseeing KQED's production role in the statewide weekly public affairs series, California Connected, and serving as Executive in Charge of the PBS primetime, HD series Jean Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures. In 2006, Isip's division co-produced the four part primetime series China From the Inside, as well as American Experience: Gold Rush. Isip is also a former Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Fellow in which he produced a documentary on mental illness and homelessness, Hope on the Street. Prior to KQED, he was Executive Producer at KVIE-TV in Sacramento. Isip has a B.A. in government from Cornell University and a J.D. from DePaul College Law.

John Roszak, Former Producer
John Roszak was the series producer of This Week In Northern California until his health prevented him from working. Roszak passed away on February 14, 2006 at the age of 57. He was a member of the Current Affairs unit of KQED's TV Productions Department and produced This Week... since 1991. Roszak also produced numerous specials, investigative reports and documentaries at KQED. His work for NBC appeared on the Today show and NBC Nightly News. He was assigned by NBC to cover the O.J. Simpson civil trial. As a news producer for KPIX, San Francisco (CBS) Roszak's included a multi-part special on the reversion of Hong Kong to the Republic of China, and the Emmy-nominated series, Reel Life: Bay Area Teens.

José Marquez, Web Developer
josemarquez.com