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Pat Finn
Contributor through April 2018
Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition.
Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide.
Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Recent Stories by Pat Finn
Megan Alice: High School Student And Published Poet
- Aug. 16
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
It's not often that a senior at Francis Parker High School can add "published poet" to her resume. But Megan Alice is no ordinary 17-year-old. "A Bouquet of Daisies," her debut collection published by Green Writers Press, goes on sale this week.
San Diego Affordable Housing Advocates Eyeing 2020 Ballot
- Aug. 14
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
The San Diego Housing Federation declined to place its affordable housing bond on the November 2018 ballot, a move some believe resulted from pressure from convention center advocates pushing their own ballot measure. The federation said it was a purely strategic decision to move it to 2020.
Authors Reveal Story Behind The Notorious McMartin Case
- Aug. 13
- By Mark Sauer, Pat Finn
Thirty-five years ago this week, a woman in Manhattan Beach, California reported a case of suspected child abuse at the McMartin Preschool setting off a frenzied swirl of allegations that became the longest and most expensive criminal case in U.S. history. A new book reveals the missteps and hysteria surrounding the trial.
How Will Wildfire Danger Affect New Homes In North County Backcountry?
- Aug. 8
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
When San Diego County Supervisors approved the addition of hundreds of new homes in North County last month, the main concern at the hearing was wildfires. But fire officials now believe that they could evacuate homes or advise people to "shelter in place."
Why Proposed Change For Police Review Board Won't Be On November Ballot
- Aug. 6
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
A change to San Diego's city charter strengthening the Community Review Board on Police Practices was in the works, and then it wasn't. The proposed measure ran afoul of some procedural potholes and eventually ran out of time to be placed on the November ballot.
City Council Sends Measure To Increase Council, Mayor Salaries To November Ballot
- Aug. 1
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
On Tuesday the San Diego City Council voted to send a measure that will eventually double their salaries — and that of the mayor — to the November ballot, along with a few other important measures.
Balboa Park's Plaza De Panama Project Once Again In Court
- July 31
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
There has been no shortage of litigation against the long-stalled Plaza de Panama project to remake the central mesa of Balboa Park. This week a lawsuit filed by attorney Cory Briggs asserting the city should have asked for voter approval before seeking bonds to pay for the project, has made it into court.
Former U-T Reporter Helps Out In Capital Gazette Newsroom, Site Of Mass Shooting
- July 31
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
Joshua Stewart, who covered politics at The San Diego Union-Tribune, is "helping out any way I can" at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, which lost five staffers in a mass shooting last month.
Shankar Vedantam Finds The Bias In Our Hidden Brain
- July 30
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
Shankar Vedantam reveals how our thoughts and actions are governed by our hidden brain, including our reactions to news stories and social trends such as the #MeToo movement.
Why Losing 30 Psychiatric Beds In Oceanside Means A Crisis For San Diego County
- July 25
- By Maureen Cavanaugh, Pat Finn
Losing 30 psychiatric beds may not seem like a catastrophe, but the impending closure of two psychiatric units at Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside is just the latest in a string of such losses in the county and statewide.