Category Archives: Featured Blog Post

Science Night 5/22

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Nature The White Lions at 7 pm
This is the story of two remarkable and extremely rare white lion cubs on their journey to adulthood. Both are female, sisters born as white as snow in May 2009, in South Africa’s Kruger Park. Growing up on the savanna, they must not only overcome the same survival challenges that all young lion cubs must face, they must also overcome the threats their high visibility brings.

NOVA Secrets Of The Sun at 8 pm
It contains 99.9 percent of all the matter in our solar system and sheds hot plasma at nearly a million miles an hour. The temperature at its core is a staggering 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. It convulses, it blazes, it sings. You know it as the sun. Scientists know it as one of the most amazing physics laboratories in the universe. Now, with the help of new spacecraft and Earth-based telescopes, scientists are seeing the Sun as they never have before and even re-creating what happens at the very center of the Sun in labs here on Earth. Their work will help us understand aspects of the sun that have puzzled scientists for decades. But more critically, it may help us predict and track solar storms that have the power to zap our power grid, shut down telecommunications, and ground global air travel for days, weeks, or even longer. Such storms have happened before-but never in the modern era of satellite communication. SECRETS OF THE SUN reveals a bright new dawn in our understanding of our nearest star-one that might help keep our planet from going dark.

Secrets of the Dead Airmen And The Headhunters at 9 pm
This program investigates a fantastic WWII tale of jungle ambushes, extreme engineering, blow darts defenses, and enemy headhunting. In 1945, an American B24 bomber is shot down over Japanese — controlled Borneo. The airmen bail out and survive, only to find themselves isolated and lost in the impenetrable jungle. Briefed to fear the “savage” Dayak inhabitants, the Americans are instead taken in by these tribes and become witness to a compassionate, resourceful people who shatter stereotypes, protect them from the Japanese, and eventually deliver them safely into the hands of an eccentric British Major who orchestrates their rescue by building a bamboo runway deep in the Borneo interior.

 

 

Online discussion on Austin after 10-1

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civic summit austin after 10-1

Watch on KLRU or join our online community discussion starting at 9 pm May 16th. Take part in the online screening now

KLRU’s ongoing dialogue on civic engagement, Why Bother? takes an in-depth look at how the change to Austin City Council’s governing structure will impact voters. Experts and community members from across the city meet to discuss issues that are most important to them, to try to figure out how 10 separate districts will reconcile their differences once the new council is elected.

 

 

KLRU Collective: Con Mascaras

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CFILLMXE2SMLThis week, KLRU Collective presents the Masked: Changing Identities exhibition. Mexic-Arte Museum brings together over 200 traditional masks from various eras & regions in Mexico. The collection illustrates a people’s history that blends real life & myth & emphasizes the continued importance of masks in Mexican culture. While some consider them works of arts & some see them as part of traditional dance costumes, others revere them as religious symbols. However interpreted, these masks serve as inspiration for contemporary art & are a unique feature of Mexican tradition.

Masked: Changing Identities is on exhibit at Mexic-Arte Museum from January 25 – May 25, 2013. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year, Collective will be available in both English and Spanish during the day and provide links to traditional dances.

Genealogy Roadshow to film in Austin 6/23

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Genealogy Roadshow

Local residents with interesting stories needed for national broadcast of new PBS series

PBS and KLRU-TV announce that the new series Genealogy Roadshow, which premieres nationally this fall, is seeking local participants to share their families’ stories. Final participants will be part of an episode taping in Austin on Sunday, June 23. Part detective story, part emotional journey, Genealogy Roadshow  will combine history and science to uncover fascinating stories of diverse Americans. The producers are looking for Austin-area residents who have (or believe they have) a historically significant story in their family. Chosen stories will be researched by a team of local experts, and will be linked to the larger community’s history, revealing the rich cultural tapestry of Central Texas and America. Individuals with interesting stories are encouraged to submit them online through the KLRU website at klru.org/grshow.

Genealogy Roadshow’s premiere season features participants from four American cities — Austin, Detroit, Nashville, and San Francisco — who want to explore unverified genealogical claims passed down through family histories that may (or may not) connect them to an event or an historical figure. These cities were chosen as American crossroads of culture, diversity, industry and history with deep pools of potential participants and stories. The Austin episode, which will be filmed before a live audience, will air this fall (specific air dates will be announced later).

“Austin is a natural fit for Genealogy Roadshow. As the capital of Texas, it is known as a very progressive and modern city with a fascinating multicultural history,” said executive producer Stuart Krasnow. “We’re looking for a diverse mix of stories from locals who want to know more about their history.”

“I am delighted that Austin was chosen to be a part of Genealogy Roadshow,” said Bill Stotesbery, KLRU CEO. “Our participation in this project helps us fulfill our mission to make a better community one story at a time. We encourage Central Texans to share their story by going to klru.org/grshow and be part of this exciting production.”

After participants are chosen, genealogy, history and DNA experts will use family heirlooms, letters, pictures, historical documents and other clues to hunt down more information. These experts will enlist the help of local historians to add color and context to the investigations, ensuring every artifact and every name becomes a clue in solving the mystery. Austin residents are invited and encouraged to submit their personal stories as Genealogy Roadshow  will unearth family and community secrets, reveal notable relatives and discover unexpected stories that connect the past to the present. Many answers will be revealed on camera before a local audience, in a historic building relevant to the cities’ – and the participants’ – histories.

Genealogy Roadshow  is produced by Krasnow Productions. President and owner Stuart Krasnow is a long-time television industry veteran, having worked for all of the country’s top broadcasters in news and entertainment, as well as at numerous cable networks as a creator and executive producer. It is represented in the U.S. by Pat Quinn of Quinn Media Management and packaged with PBS by APA.

Genealogy Roadshow  has been a huge hit in Ireland, where national public broadcaster RTE commissioned this original format from producer Big Mountain Productions.

 

In the Studio: Marc Morial tapes Overheard 5/3

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Overheard taping announcement

Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Marc Morial
Date: May 3
Time: 1:45pm (Doors open at 1:15pm)
Location: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map). 
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

MMM HeadshotMarc Morial is President of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest civil rights organization. He assumed that post in 2003, after Morial serving as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994-2002. Morial is credited with the city’s “renaissance” through police reforms, housing and neighborhood revitalization and investments in infrastructure. During his time in office, murders and violent crimes fell by 60% and the unemployment rate was cut in half. He left office with a 70 percent approval rating. Morial is in Austin to give the commencement address at Huston-Tillotson University.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith wraps up a third season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor.  The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS viewers from California to Florida.  We’d love to see you in the studio for the interview, and for a chance to join the audience Q&A after the interview. See past shows and interviews at klru.org/overheard

Arts In Context: Intergalactic Nemesis 4/25

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“The year is 1933. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Molly Sloan and her intrepid research assistant Timmy Mendez team up with a mysterious librarian from Flagstaff, Arizona, named Ben Wilcott. Together, they travel from Rumania to Scotland to the Alps to Tunis to the Robot Planet and finally to Imperial Zygon to defeat a terrible threat to the very future of humanity: an invading force of sludge-monsters from outer space known as the Zygonians.”

This month’s episode of Arts In Context will take us inside the unique production of the Live-Action Graphic Novel that is the Intergalactic Nemesis. Projecting the artwork from the original comic-book story panel-by-panel, while three actors voiced the characters, one performer created sound-effects, and a keyboardist performed the score, The Intergalactic Nemesis, Book One: Target Earth was an instant sensation when it debuted in the Long Center in 2010. Since then it has been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Conan,” and is now on a world tour.

Arts In Context has been closely following the Intergalactic Nemesis crew behind the scenes of their rising production of Book One: Target Earth for the past few months. Full of striking images and interviews, this episode captures the creative process of the Intergalactic crew. But on this episode Arts In Context is trying something new. The crew is collaborating with documentary filmmaker Anton Curley, using footage from his upcoming film, Nemesis Rising. Nemesis Rising is a feature length film on the Intergalactic Nemesis that follows the crew through their history, their first national tour, and into their future from Volume 2 and beyond. In combination with the documentary that Arts In Context has been working on, this episode will tell the story of the the Intergalactic Nemesis crew from their small beginnings to their debut in Broadway earlier in April. This collaboration will make for a unique episode of Arts in Context that cannot be missed.

Make sure to tune in on Thursday, April 25th at 7:30 pm to take an intimate behind the scenes look at the Live-Action Graphic Novel on Arts in Context: Intergalactic Nemesis.

To see if the Intergalactic Nemsis is coming to you check out on their tour schedule.

 

KLRU Collective: Is Graffiti Art?

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This week, KLRU Collective explores the art of graffiti.

Spray-can art started as an underground, street art movement. Today, graffiti is as relevant as any other art form, and Emerge ATX brings these artists into the gallery. With live graffiti painting and performances from DJs, MCs & B-boys, this annual art show uncovers the culture and process behind Austin’s street art.

Art Seen Alliance is a group of artists that come together to make art and produce events

In the Studio: Civic Summit Austin After 10-1

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Civic Summit Taping Announcement

Civic Summit: Why Bother? Austin After 10-1
Date: Tuesday, April 23
Time: taping begins promptly at 7:00pm (Doors at 6:30pm)
Location: KLRU’s Studio 6A (2504-B Whitis Austin, TX 78712 map)
RSVP: Attendance is free, but RSVP is required. RSVP Now

Why Bother? an ongoing dialogue on civic engagement, takes an in-depth look at how the change to Austin City Council’s governing structure will impact voters. Experts and community members from across the city meet to discuss issues that are most important to them, to try to figure out how 10 separate districts will reconcile their differences once the new council is elected.

Sponsored by the Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU, and KUT, this event is part of Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today, a news and public dialogue series intended to provoke a conversation among regular people about why Texas has one of the lowest rates of civic engagement in the world, and what we can do about it.

Why Bother?

 

 

Highlights: April 14 to April 20

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KLRU Highlights

Elina Garanca, Giuseppe Filianoti and Barbara Frittoli star in this production of Mozart’s La Clemenza Di Tito on Great Performances At The Met at 2 pm Sunday.

Jenny is seconded to a short-staffed London Hospital to work on the male surgical ward on Call the Midwife  at 7 pm Sunday.

Ellen’s future as the Spirit of Selfridge is on the line as renowned ballerina Anna Pavlova causes a sensation at the store on Masterpiece presents Mr. Selfridge, Part 3 at 8 pm Sunday.

Orchestra of Exiles at 9 pm Sunday tells the story of one man’s four-year odyssey which culminated, in 1936, with the creation of a top-flight symphony orchestra in the desert outback of Palestine.

Antiques Roadshow explores the craftsmanship of Cincinnati carved furniture at 7 pm Monday.

Market Warriors go Antiquing In Rochester, Minnesota at 8 pm Monday to the annual Gold Rush Show, where the pickers are paired up to find something French.

Independent Lens presents Wonder Women! The Untold Story Of American Superheroines at 9 pm Monday. This program traces the evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman.

Central Park Five at 8 pm Tuesday tells the story of Tricia Meili, a woman that was found brutally raped, beaten and left for dead after jogging through Central Park in New York City in April 19, 1989.

On Story at 10 pm Tuesday presents Buck Henry: A Hollywood Story. Iconic comedic and distinctly American writer, director, and actor Buck Henry recalls his long and storied career in Hollywood.

Arts In Context presents Woman at 10:30 Tuesday. Art is enjoyed by all, but these pieces are strictly woman’s work.

James Prosek, artist, writer, and eminent naturalist, takes on the mystery of the eel, shedding light on the animal and the strange behavior it inspires in those who seek to know it on Nature  The Mystery Of Eels at 7 pm Wednesday.

NOVA   Austalia’s First 4 Billion Years: Life Explodes at 8 pm Wednesday takes viewers on a rollicking adventure from the birth of the Earth to the emergence of the world we know today.

Guts With Michael Mosley at 9 pm Wednesday uncovers the secret life of our digestive tract in an eye-opening and detailed exploration of the side of the body we normally never get to see.

Artistic Director Stephen Mills and company produce a re-staging of the acclaimed Light / Holocaust and Humanity Project on Arts In Context presents Producing Light at 7:30 Thursday.

Energy expert Dr. Michael E. Webber speaks about the ways we think about energy, and in turn, how we influence energy policy on Energy At The Movies: 70 Years Of Energy On The Big Screen at 9 pm Thursday.

Live from Lincoln Center presents Celebration: Stephanie Blythe Meets Kate Smith at 9 pm Friday. Blythe returns to Lincoln Center with her popular music show paying tribute to the great Kate Smith.

Find out how to grow your own fresh fruit, even in containers on Central Texas Gardener  Backyard Citrus And Small Fruits at noon and 4 pm Saturday.

Victory Garden presents Vertical: Think Up! at 4:30 pm. Find the best climbing plants with garden correspondent Paul Epsom and create a vertical element in the garden.

Austin City Limits presents Florence + The Machine and Lykke Li at 7 pm Saturday. Bluesy singer Florence showcases her LP Lungs, while Swedish chanteuse Li highlights her LP Wounded Rhymes.

Codebreakers: Bletchley Park’s Lost Heroes at 9 pm Saturday tells the extraordinary story of a British engineer, Tommy Flowers, and a talented British mathematician, Bill Tutte.

 

What role does race play in college admissions?

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A new documentary produced by KLRU and journalist Lynn Boswell will explore questions of fairness, equality and what those words mean in university admissions nationwide.

To help fund production of this film, we are asking you to support our Indiegogo campaign. The goal of $25,000 will help with costs associated with travel, fact checking, research and use of archival materials. Funds raised through this campaign will directly support the production of this documentary.

There are great perks to thank you for your donation including an advance screening, panel & reception, as well as a private dinner. Supporting this effort shows you support quality journalism and public media.

Share, like and tweet about this project! More information can be found on our Indiegogo page.