Category Archives: membership

It’s our birthday wish to raise $270,000 during our March pledge drive!

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For 50 years now, KLRU has inspired Austin with television programs, community projects and educational initiatives that spark creativity, exploration, and understanding, both locally and around the world. We invite you to wish KLRU a Happy 50th Birthday by giving a gift in support of our March fundraising drive.

This month, KLRU must raise more than $270,000 to continue to provide you with more than 30,000 hours of programming, that for FIVE decades, has been the best on television. We hope you can watch, and support, this weekend:

Tonight: Inspire Understanding by giving a gift for Moyers & Company at 8pm (Welcome back, Bill!)

Saturday: Inspire Creativity with a gift for a VERY special episode of Austin City Limits at 8pm – Season 37 Highlights: Some of our favorite moments from Season 37. Tune in for your chance to get tickets to see Radiohead tape a performance for Season 38 – every gift made will automatically be entered to win 1 of 5 pairs of balcony tickets to the Tuesday night taping. We also have a limited number of guaranteed tickets to offer for donations of $500 – but the only way to secure those is by watching Saturday night and calling in!

Sunday: Inspire Exploration by supporting our smash hit Downton Abbey at 7pm – We’ll be airing a behind-the-scenes special and a fan-favorite episode from Season 2. Take your exploration even further by entering the Masterpiece Sweepstakes to win a trip to Britain and tour the castles that inspired Downton Abbey.

They say you only turn fifty once, but with the help of supporters like you, we feel like we’re just getting started, and that KLRU’s best work is still ahead of it. Give your Birthday gift to KLRU right now!

If you are not interested in one of our fantastic thank you gifts, I hope you will consider giving a gift of $50 in honor of KLRU’s 50 years of service. That’s just $1 for each year that KLRU has inspired Austin.

Thanks for watching and supporting KLRU-TV!

Austin City Limits Signed Poster Auction!

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The tapings for season 38 of Austin City Limits are starting up, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still revel in the great times from season 37 – and what better way to remember the incredible line up than owning one (or all!) of the limited edition band posters.

To kick off the KLRU March fundraising drive, we have organized an eBay auction of signed, limited edition band posters from ACL’s season 37 – the auction will be up until March 10, so bid now and bid often to get your favorite performer’s poster into your personal collection.

Posters currently available for bids
(click on band name below to visit auction site)

Arcade Fire

Coldplay

Florence & The Machine

Gillian Welch & The Decemberists

Jeff Bridges

Miranda Lambert

Randy Newman

Raphael Saadiq

Steve Miller Band

Wilco

All proceeds will go directly to KLRU to inspire creativity, exploration and understanding in Austin – and beyond.

KLRU Endowment Receives Gift From Luci Baines Johnson and Ian Turpin

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KLRU Endowment Receives Gift From Luci Baines Johnson and Ian Turpin Recognizing Longtime Supporters Sandy and Dudley Youman

Gift In Honor of Station’s 50th Anniversary

Austin, TX — KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, announces that Luci Baines Johnson and Ian Turpin have created the Sandy and Dudley Youman Fund within the KLRU Endowment honoring two of the station’s key supporters and the station’s 50th anniversary.

“PBS’s success depends on having best friends, and KLRU, Ian, and I have all survived and thrived because of the selfless service and extraordinary talent of our unsung heroes Sandy and Dudley Youman,” Johnson said. “Their tireless commitment of time, talent and treasure has been a blessing beyond measure to PBS and to us and we know the greatest way to thank them is to give back to the cause they love.”

“Sandy and Dudley certainly have a place at center stage in the history of KLRU, and I’m very happy that this gift recognizes that and helps us continue the station’s great work into the next 50 years,” said KLRU CEO Bill Stotesbery.

The Sandy and Dudley Youman Fund, part of the KLRU Endowment, will be used to help support KLRU programming and events. The KLRU Endowment was established in 1991 to provide a permanent fund that furthers KLRU’s vision to make Central Texas the most vibrant, informed, and engaged community in the country through the creative use of educational and inspirational content.

Sandy Youman retired from KLRU in 2005 after a career at the station spanning two decades. While at KLRU, Youman was instrumental in building membership, increasing major donors and in creating the Producers Circle. Sandy and Dudley, a physician, have continued to support KLRU and other non-profit organizations in Austin through their boundless volunteer activities.

“As I told Luci,” Sandy Youman said, “This is a real ‘grace-gift,’ defined as thoroughly unexpected, unnecessary at a level of such magnitude, but certainly really appreciated! I am humbled and thrilled that through this fund we can continue to play a part in making a difference for KLRU; not only inspiring the next generation of Youmans, but for the KLRU families throughout Austin, Central Texas and beyond.”

About KLRU
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, presents quality multimedia content that engages people in the thoughtful exchange of ideas, the expression of the arts, and enjoyable lifelong learning opportunities, resulting in a more vibrant community and a higher quality of life. In addition to providing locally produced and quality national television programming, KLRU is also a non-profit organization helping to build a stronger community through educational workshops, community engagement projects and public events. Known as the producing station of the longest-running live music television show Austin City Limits, KLRU has also worked on several other national productions including Overheard with Evan Smith and documentaries like Citizen Architect and Last Best Hope. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

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2012 KLRU Antique Appraisal Fair a success!

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Thanks to all of our donors who contributed during our August and December pledge drives to attend the 2nd KLRU Antiques Appraisal Fair on January 21, 2012. We had a great turn out and everyone really enjoyed getting to know a little more about their prized possessions.

A special thanks also to our incredible volunteer appraisers – many of whom saw close to 50 items throughout the day. We couldn’t have this event without their generosity and expertise! For more information on all the appraisers who were with us that day, please visit the Appraisal Fair website.

Watch a highlight reel of the day here – thanks again for everyone’s support and enthusiasm!

Give a gift…Get an experience with KLRU

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We are halfway towards of goal of $240,000! In 7 days, you’ve helped raise $122,630 and we sincerely appreciate the outpouring of generosity and commitment to the mission of KLRU-TV. If you’ve given your gift this pledge drive, thank you! If you’re still waiting, this might just be the time to act because we have some great ways to thank you this weekend!

  • Tonight, we’ll be live in the KLRU studios during the public affairs line up, with the PBS Newshour at 6pm, Washington Week at 7pm, and Need to Know at 7:30pm. To thank you for your gift at the $250 level, you’ll get two (2) tickets to the next three (3) Spark at the Moody speaker series events in 2012 which include the incredibly compelling and engaging topics of women in politics, citizenship, and children’s education. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for you to support quality public affairs and news programs and be a participant in our intriguing and dynamic speaker series!
  • This weekend is the premier presentation of Straight No Chaser: Songs of the Decade: Holiday Edition and if you make a gift of $250, you’ll receive two (2) tickets to their April 4, 2012 concert at the Long Center (you’ll also get the CD & DVD of their holiday performance!). We have the best seats in the house reserved for KLRU donors and tickets are limited, so make your donation today!
  • We still have seats left on the KLRU Drink Up tour, but they’re going fast! If you donate $150, you will receive two (2) tickets to the tour of local breweries and distilleries. This year, we’ll head out on a bus to Live Oak Brewery, Tito’s Vodka Distillery, Treaty Oak Rum Distillery, and BlackStar Brewery Co-op. We’ll tour the facilities, taste the product, and finish off the afternoon with food and drink at BlackStar.

We hope you’ll use these opportunities to support KLRU-TV and join in some of the fun and unique experiences we have to offer!

Thanks for your support and enjoy a great weekend of KLRU programming!

Summer Special: Support KLRU for just $5 today!

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As a KLRU Green Member, you join a caring group of viewers who provide us with dependable financial support on a continuing monthly basis. On special for only $5/month, the KLRU Green Membership is convenient, easy on your budget, and helps provide considerable savings to the station. Being a KLRU Green Member means never receiving paper mailings from us and never having to renew your membership – it’s the easiest way to show your commitment to KLRU in your life and your community.

  • Enjoy the convenience of automatic payment of your Green Member gifts. Convenient and secure automatic withdrawals from your credit card of checking account save you time and money since you never have to write another check or find a stamp.
  • Enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your support is helping to reduce KLRU’s administrative costs – which makes your contribution a full investment in the unique and outstanding television programs, educational workshops, community engagement projects and public events you expect from KLRU.
  • You’re in control. You can change or stop your payments at any time. Just give us the word.
  • You’re in the know. As a Green Member, you’ll receive only the most important e-communication from KLRU, keeping you informed about upcoming programs and events with the KLRU Green Member eNewsletter.
  • Your membership is always active. You’ll never have to look back and see when you last gave to KLRU – and you’ll never have to renew or receive any renewal notices by email or mail.
  • Spreading your support out over the year makes generosity easier on your budget and gives KLRU the security of a steady, reliable stream of income.

Please consider all the advantages of becoming a KLRU Green Member – the convenience to you, the savings to us and, most of all, the expression of your enduring commitment to all that public broadcasting stands for – and join during this end-of-summer special for only $5/month.


As a KLRU GREEN MEMBER, you not only support your local PBS station, but as a thank you gift you will receive a KLRU branded GO LOCAL card, valid until August 2012, good for discounts and deals at over 600 businesses in Central Texas.

#whyKLRU? You can give the gift that puts us over goal!

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KLRU has reached the end of our August pledge drive and we are just $495 short our goal of $240,000. If you are among the thousands who have responded over the last 17 days, THANK YOU!

If you have not given yet, you have a unique opportunity to give the gift that puts KLRU over it’s goal. Give that gift right now!

During this drive we offered tickets to a number of one-of-a-kind KLRU experiences. As you think about how you would like to be thanked for your support, please consider joining us for one (or more) of these incredible events:

2 tickets to the Austin City Limits taping with Arcade Fire on September 17th

2 tickets to KLRU Antiques Appraisal Fair (bring 3 treasures with you) on January 21st

2 tickets to spend the day on the set of Central Texas Gardener on October 6th

2 tickets to our BBQ bus tour – KLRU-Daytripper Meat-Up on October 1st

We hope you will make a donation, and perhaps join us for one of our events. Also, please consider inspiring others by sharing your reason for supporting KLRU at our Facebook page, or on Twitter – using the hashtag #whyKLRU.

Thank you for watching and supporting KLRU!

#whyKLRU? Meat-Up with KLRU and The Daytripper!

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Our August pledge drive is wrapping us this weekend, but we have more surprises in store for you!

Tonight is a special presentation of The Daytripper, featuring Chet’s best of Austin day trips! Chet will join us live in the KLRU studios starting at 7pm. In addition to watching great clips from some of Chet’s favorite close-to-home episodes, he’ll share behind-the-scenes stories and hopefully we’ll see some of that great Daytripper blooper reel!

As a thank you gift for folks who call in to support The Daytripper tonight, we are offering two tickets to the first ever KLRU-Daytripper Meat-Up, a bbq bus tour of some classic restaurants in Central Texas! You’ll have to tune in to find out more or go online to snag your seat right now!

Don’t miss The Daytripper special event tonight at 7pm – LIVE FROM THE KLRU STUDIOS!

KLRU Brings You the Arts with Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert This Sunday

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We take pride in providing Central Texas with a front-row seat to great arts and cultural programs, that you’ll only find on KLRU. We are extra excited to be able to bring you the LES MISÉRABLES 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT AT THE O2, which will be seen on KLRU for the first time on Sunday, March 6, 2011, 6:00-10:00 p.m.

No one could have guessed on October 8, 1985, when Les Misérables opened in London at the Barbican Theatre that it would become a worldwide phenomenon, but audiences embraced it from the start, creating a “people’s musical” that has played in 42 countries and has been seen by nearly 60 million people. In 2010, the legendary musical celebrated its 25th birthday, and to mark the occasion, producer Cameron Mackintosh staged an extraordinary concert at the O2 Arena in London.

Alfie Boe, Colm Wilkinson, Ramin Karimloo and Nick Jonas in the curtain call of the LES MISÉRABLES 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT AT THE O2

This epic production will feature Nick Jonas, one third of the phenomenally successful pop music artists the Jonas Brothers, who played the part of Gavroche for the final nine months of the show’s original Broadway run. Watch a preview here!

Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert Sunday, March 6, at 6 pm Featuring members of the original cast and hundreds of other actors and musicians, the legendary musical celebrates 25 years of production. Support this and other arts programs now.