There must be something about the central San Joaquin Valley that makes for good contestants on romance reality shows.

Lindzi Cox, the 27-year-old who was a member of the equestrian team at California State University, Fresno, will know on Monday, March 12 whether she has won the heart of Ben Flajnik on the ABC reality competition show "The Bachelor." On the season finale, Cox and fellow bachelorette Courtney Robertson will go home with Flajnik to meet his parents. Then he will make his decision.

There doesn't appear to be a contest: Cox has been sweet and a fair game player while Robertson has been catty and cunning. But this is a game show and bad decisions are often made.

Before Cox made her love life the object of TV attention, Kasey Kahl, an advertising account executive from Clovis, was one of 25 suitors on the sixth edition of the reality show "The Bachelorette" that aired in 2010. He was sent packing by Ali Fedotowsky. Kahl came back to appear on "Bachelor Pad."

Back in 2003, Will Dyck, a local real estate investor, was the winner of the FOX reality game show "Mr. Personality." He had to win the heart of Hayley Arp without showing his face.

In other local reality news -- in case you missed it: Fresno's ties to the latest "Survivor" have been cut. Matthew Quinlan, who lived in Fresno from 1992-96 while his father was vice president of marketing at Zacky Farms, was eliminated last week. The Bullard High School graduate follows Fresno's Nina Acosta, who was voted out earlier in the season.

National attention

The locally produced "Hey Kids, Let's Cook!," is now airing in eight of the top 10 markets, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. It can be seen on 55% of U.S. households, which includes locally at 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m. Saturdays on KNXT (Channel 49.1).

Series creator Kathy Powers hosts the program -- along with a team of young chefs ranging in age from 6-13. The show helps children and teens develop cooking skills and demonstrates how to make easy, healthy recipes. Season seven will be taped this summer.

For more information, go to pbs.org/food/chefs or heykidsletscook.com.

Moving on

KMJ (AM 580) morning reporter/anchor Margaret Carrero has left Fresno to take a job at KNX (AM 1070) in Los Angeles. A search has started to find her replacement.

The local news/talk radio station has added reporter/anchor Ed Lopez. who comes here from Albuquerque, N.M. Lopez, who was hired to replace the retired Dennis Hart, starts in mid-March.

Joining network

KGMC (Channel 43.1) will become an affiliate of the new Spanish-language network MundoFox when it debuts in the fall. The network will broadcast telenovelas and series aimed at a male audience. Channel 43.1 currently is the home to the America's Collectibles Network.