Category Archives: localshows

After Newtown: Mental health resources in Austin

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As part of PBS’s After Newtown initiative, we asked our viewers how KLRU should respond to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. An overwhelming number of you wanted us to focus on access to mental health care. KLRU will also feature this video during Need To Know on Feb. 22.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is dedicated to education, early detection and advocacy for people who suffer from mental illness. According to the group’s numbers, “one in 10 children struggles with mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment to their day-to-day lives,” and only half of those children receive treatment. NAMI aims to diagnose these cases early, by working with teachers and parents to teach them how to identify and deal with symptoms.

NAMI Austin President Adrienne Kennedy joined us in studio for a conversation about what her organization does, and what sorts of resources are available to people living in Central Texas.

NAMI is hosting a Capitol Day on February 28 at the Texas State Capitol. Lawmakers will speak, lunch will be served, and an afternoon rally will take place on the South Steps. You can find more information about Capitol Day on their website namiaustin.org.

In the Studio: Kasim Reed tapes Overheard 2/26

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Overheard taping announcement

Kasim ReedPlease join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Mayor Kasim Reed

Date: February 26
Time: 10:15am (Doors open at 9:45am)
Location: in KLRU’s Studio 6A (map)
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

Kasim Reed is Mayor of Atlanta and a rising star in the Democratic Party. He was elected in 2009 to his first term, and was a key surrogate for the Obama Administration during the 2012 presidential election. Prior to becoming mayor, Reed served in the Georgia General Assembly for 11 years. He is in town for the Texas Legislative Black Caucus Summit.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith continues its 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.

In the Studio: Your State Legislature, Your Voice 1/29

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Civic Summit Taping Announcement

Join KLRU for a Civic Summit taping on how best to voice your opinion to elected officials.

Date: Tuesday, January 29
Time:  taping begins promptly at 7:30pm (doors open at 7 pm)
Location: KLRU’s Studio 6A 2504-B Whitis
RSVP Now: Civic Summit: Your State Legislature, Your Voice

When was the last time you reached out to your elected lawmaker? Are you even sure how?

On January 29th, KLRU continues the civic engagement series “Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today” with a Civic Summit taping in KLRU studio 6A. The conversation will revolve around the challenges and obstacles (for both the public and lawmakers) with putting an issue in front of the people that need to hear. Do we have a suitable system for public engagement? What could we do better?

We’ll hear from elected lawmakers along with folks involved in grassroots lobbying organizations about their experiences. Audience members are encouraged to tell their stories of success, or failures. Confirmed panelists include Senator Wendy Davis and State Representative Larry Gonzales. RSVP now to be part of the studio audience.

Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today is a news and public dialogue series intended to provoke a conversation among regular people – the skeptics and the true believers – about why they participate and why they don’t. Developed jointly by the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU, and KUT.

In the Studio: Rajiv Chandrasekaran tapes Overheard 10/29

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Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Rajiv Chandrasekaran

DATE: Monday, October 29
TIME: 5:15 p.m. (Doors open at 4:45 p.m.)
LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map).
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

Author and journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran is the author of the bestselling and widely praised book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, an account of American reconstruction in Iraq. That book makes the most of Chandrasekaran’s time as Washington Post bureau chief in Baghdad in 2003 and 2004. He has a similar understanding of Afghanistan, which is the subject of his new book. Chandrasekaran covered events in that country for The Post from 2009 to 2001 and has just published Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith continues 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.

SXSW Flashback 2012 airs 10/23

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The next edition of KLRU’s Lone Star Emmy nominated show, SXSW Flashback, is debuting this month. Like its predecessors, SXSW Flashback 2012 takes viewers back to March for one hour of SXSW excitement, once again featuring a wide variety of interviews ranging from the already-made-its to the up-and-comers of the entertainment world. Highlights for 2012 include Channing Tatum, Willem Dafoe, Kimbra, Matthew McConaughey, Lance Gross, Jack Black, Jonah Hill, and many more, discussing their latest movies and music as well as their experiences here visiting Central Texas and SXSW.

SWSW Flashback will air on KLRU on Tuesday, October 23rd, at 10:30 p.m.

KLRU nominated for 12 Emmy Awards

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The Lone Star Emmy Award nominees were announced this week. KLRU programs and projects received 12 nominations! Thanks to your support Austin’s public television station is able to create top quality programming and we’re proud that he Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has recognized this work with nominations.

The Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is the standard-bearer for excellence in the television industry and the gatekeeper of the prestigious regional Emmy Awards in Texas. The Lone Star Emmy Chapter represents the best and brightest television and media professionals from all disciplines of the industry and from all of Texas’ 19 television markets.

Below is the list of KLRU nominees. Winners will be announced Nov. 10th.
more →

Watch 2010 interview with the new Commissioner for Texas Education Agency

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This week brings a new school year for millions of Texas students, and a new commissioner for the Texas Education Agency.  This afternoon, Governor Rick Perry announced the appointment of Michael Williams to the TEA, effective September 1.  Williams served as Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights under President George W. Bush and later led the Texas Railroad Commission.  He has been involved in Republican politics in Texas for many years, serving as general counsel to the Republican Party of Texas and seeking Republican nominations for a U.S. Senate seat and a spot in the U.S. House.  During that time, he’s earned a reputation as a reliable conservative and a name to watch in many circles.

Watch Williams’ 2010 interview with Evan. They discuss Williams’ politics, his interest in Kay Bailey Hutchison’s U.S. Senate seat, healthcare reform, climate change, being both African American and a conservative Republican, and growing up in Midland with parents who taught school and coached high school football.

Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams from Texas Monthly Talks on Vimeo.

For more about Williams and his new role, you can read a press release from
the Governor’s office , an article from The Texas Tribune and an article from the Austin American-Statesman

Overheard with Evan Smith: Michael Morton and Leonard Pitts Tapings

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We had two tapings for Overheard with Evan Smith on Tuesday, June 26th. Despite the 106-degree heat outside, Smith talked to one of the most cool, calm, and even-keeled guests to date: Michael Morton. Morton was released from prison last year after it was discovered he was innocent of his wife’s murder. He’d spent 25 years behind bars. Smith asked Morton about the challenges of serving time, the murder of his wife, and his eventual release from prison. Throughout the interview, Morton reiterated his disinterest in revenge but expressed a desire to make public officials accountable. Audience members asked Morton about his renewed faith, hopes for the future, threats of violence behind bars, and coping with the death of his wife.  The show will air on July 19th and will be available for viewing online and on the PBS App after that date. Watch the entire audience q&a now:

Michael Morton: Q & A with the Audience from KLRU-TV on Vimeo.

Next, Smith interviewed Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Leonard Pitts. According to Pitts, he has both the best (writing novels) and second best (writing columns) jobs in American Literature today. He discussed his latest novel, Freeman. This work of historical fiction follows a former slave and Union soldier in the months following the Civil War. Beyond historical fiction, Pitts writes columns for the Miami Herald where he challenges readers to think critically about race in America. Smith asked Pitts about the challenges of writing historical fiction, the public’s reaction to the killing of Trayvon Martin, racism in the age of Obama, and the newspaper business. The show will air on July 12th and will be available for viewing online and on the PBS App after that date. Watch the entire audience q&a now:

Leonard Pitts: Q & A with the Audience from KLRU-TV on Vimeo.

About the blogger: Rhiannon Goad is LBJ Public Affairs and Gender Studies graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She’s spending her summer interning for KLRU, cooking out, and anticipating Shirley Maclaine’s debut on Downton Abbey.

In the Studio: Michael Morton tapes Overheard 6/26

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Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Michael Morton
DATE: June 26
TIME: 10:30 a.m. (Doors open at 10:00 a.m.)
LOCATION: in KLRU’s Studio 6A.
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

Michael Morton spent nearly 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit: the 1986 murder
of his wife, Christine Morton. Morton fought the conviction for years, with the help of the Innocence
Project. Then last fall, DNA testing pointed to a different suspect, and Morton was released. Now
another man has been charged in the killing of Morton’s wife, defense lawyers allege that prosecutors
withheld evidence, the public wonders whether a second murder could have been prevented, and
Morton is sharing his story.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith continues a second 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.

Screening: The Daytripper 6/18

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Community Screening of The Daytripper
KLRU Studio 6A, 6:45 – 9 pm
Free. RSVP Required. RSVP now

Join us for screening of the The Daytripper’s season three finale and return episode to Bastrop in studio!

The Atomic Duo will kick off the evening with live music on stage while Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ whips up tasty sandwiches and Live Oak pours their finest brews. Host Chet Garner will be in attendance with special guests from the episode: Former Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald, Bastrop Fire Chief Perry and Asst. Chief Stradling.