Category Archives: public affairs

In the Studio: Overheard tapes Bill Keller 10/5

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Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Bill Keller of The New York Times.
DATE: October 5
TIME: 9:00 a.m. Doors open at 8:45 a.m.
LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map).
The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP here

Bill Keller’s career with the Times has stretched for more than 25 years, spanning a period of great change in the industry and the world. Keller began his career with the paper in 1984 as a Washington-based correspondent. He later served as bureau chief in Moscow, winning a Pulitzer in 1989 for his coverage of the breakup of the Soviet Union. After that assignment, Keller became chief of the Johannesburg bureau. He followed that with time as foreign editor, managing editor and an eight-year run as executive editor. Keller now writes a columnist and writer for the paper.

Join us as Overheard with Evan Smith launches 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 stations from California to Florida. We hope you’ll be there for the second season of this exciting program.Overheard airs on KLRU at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 p.m. Sundays. Episodes are also available online at klru.org/overheard

PBS Newshour coverage of the Presidential Address 9/8

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PBS Newshour will show President Obama’s address on ways to spur job creation at 6 pm on Thursday. If the address and commentary last for more than one hour, KLRU will join the encore of Overheard with Evan Smith already in progress. This episode features Wendy Copp from Teach for America.

The rest of the evening will include:
7:30 pm Arts in Context “15 Artists to Watch”
Emerging artists take the spotlight as part of AMOA¹s exhibition ³ New Art In Austin: 15 to Watch.² Arts In Context features the artist in this exhibit that are stretching the boundaries of contemporary art.

8:30 pm Austin Daytripper “Bastrop”
This episode Chet travels to Bastrop, Texas to conquer the mighty Colorado river, a mighty chicken fried steak, and Chet’s mighty beard. But, I hope you brought your pool stick, as there may be a brawl ahead.

Spark: Where Does America Stand?

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Where Does America Stand? America’s Role as Empire Republic


September 8 at 6:30 pm @ The Moody
Tickets onsale now. Get yours today
Post a comment between now and noon Wednesday, Sept. 7, for a chance to get two free tickets to this event.

The major events and challenges that will test America and the American President over the course of the next decade are many. Dr. George Friedman, CEO and founder of STRATFOR, takes geopolitical intelligence and forecasting to the next level and presents ideas from his most recent book The New York Times bestseller “The Next Decade: Where We’ve Been … and Where We’re Going,”

In this bestseller, Friedman discusses how he sees the need to rebalance America, and suggests a combination of foreign policy decisions and national realizations that must ensue in the next ten years. In the Author’s Note of the book he writes,

“I am addressing my greatest concern, which is that the power of the United States in the world will undermine the republic. I am not someone who shuns power. I understand that without power there can be no republic. But the question I raise is how the United States should behave in the world while exercising its power, and preserve the republic at the same time.”

Friedman currently presides as CEO of his company STRATFOR, which is a respected, global intelligence company founded in 1996, here in Austin. It follows a subscription- based model where they publish daily intelligence briefings to their subscribers. Their client list is confidential, but the company has garnered public respect, and includes subscribers from Fortune 500 companies and international government agencies.

Get your ticket now to join us on September 8th, for an insightful discussion about America’s Role as an Empire Republic as George Friedman shares his ideas on how we can better understand the global and political challenges we may face in the next ten years.

In the Studio: Overheard taping with John Heilemann 9/21

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Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with John Heilemann on September 21 at 9:00 a.m. in KLRU’s Studio 6A (map). Doors open at 8:30 a.m. The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP here

Heilemann writes about politics and business for New York Magazine, and his work also appears in other major publications nationwide. A sharp observer of US politics, Heilemann always seems to have a piece of inside knowledge and a surprising new scoop. His book Game Change, coauthored with Mark Halperin, documented the 2008 presidential campaign and became a bestseller. We’ll hear the latest political news and we’ll catch Heilemann’s take on the Republican primary race.

Join us as Overheard with Evan Smith launches 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 stations from California to Florida. We hope you’ll be there for the second season of this exciting program.

In the Studio: Overheard taping with Margaret Hoover 9/2

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Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Margaret Hoover.
Date: Friday, September 2
Time: Taping starts at 10:30 am. Doors open at 10 am.
Location: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map).
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. Please complete the form to the left to RSVP.

Margaret Hoover works as a political commentator for Fox News, and proudly wears the label of a champion of conservative causes. But she also expresses deep concern for the future of the Republican Party. Her new book, American Individualism, invites young Americans to embrace the Republicans, and offers a guide for the party to win the support of young voters. The key, she says, lies in politics that focus on individual freedoms and that end the outsize influence of social and religious conservatives in Republican politics and policy.

With this taping, Overheard with Evan Smith launches 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 stations from California to Florida. We hope you’ll be there for the second season of this exciting program. Overheard airs on KLRU at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 p.m. Sundays. Episodes are also available online at klru.org/overheard

whyKLRU? Special Live Nights Starting Tonight!

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If you’ve already given a gift or shared why you love KLRU this August, thank you for your support! In just one week, you have helped raised $90,000 towards our goal of $240,000! We’re not done yet – tonight and Saturday we’ll be live in the KLRU studios with really exciting programs and thank you gifts!

Tonight is our regular Friday public affairs line up starting at 6pm with PBS Newshour, Washington Week at 7pm and Need to Know at 7:30pm. If you call in to support any of our public affairs programs you’ll be entered in a drawing to win season tickets to our engaging speaker series, Spark at the Moody.

Following public affairs at 8:30pm is American Masters: Jeff Bridges: The Dude Abides, an incredible portrait of the life, career, and creative journey of a very talented actor, artist and musician. Jeff Bridges just taped his Austin City Limits performance this week (airing in November), and we’ll be giving away his signed, limited edition posters and also tickets to the Big Lebowski quote-a-long at the Alamo Drafthouse this month – you’ll have to watch to win, so don’t forget to tune in!

PBS Preview: American Masters: Jeff Bridges: The Dude Abides

The highlight of Saturday afternoon is 90 minutes of Central Texas Gardener starting at 4pm. We’ll be live in the studio with all the CTG folks who are eager to hear from the garden-lovers out there. We have a great fall preview show lined up (read more about it at the CTG blog!), a special gift package to give away from Eastside Cafe, Go Local Austin businesses answering the phones,  and  an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience for fans to see an actual taping of a CTG episode! It’ll be CTG-super-sized and not to be missed!

Central Texas Gardener Saturday Special Promo

Stick around KLRU into the evening for the next live pledge event: Austin City Limits, Season 37 Preview. See next season’s performances and backstage interviews before anyone else does! And if you’re a fan of Arcade Fire, you will have an opportunity to receive tickets to their ACL taping in September – tickets will go fast, so don’t miss your chance! Give now and watch the preview tomorrow for more ACL goodies!

Austin City Limits Special: Season 37 Preview

Spark: KLRU's Engaging Speaker Series

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Spark, KLRU’s Engaging Speaker Series, is back and has a new home at the downtown Moody Theater. Exploring some of the most relevant questions of our time, Spark @ The Moody takes a thoughtful look at health care, politics, education and more. With a focus on innovative thinkers from Austin and beyond the series is more than just a presentation of concepts — it’s a search for real solutions in our community. Each event includes a lively dialogue with experts followed by an opportunity for audience questions. Get your Spark series subscription today

Topics for the speaker series include:
more →

Civic Summit: 2012 Senate Race

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Civic Summit: 2012 Senate Race airs tonight (6/23) at 7:30pm. This co-production with the Texas Tribune features the four leading GOP politicians who have announced their intentions to run for the Texas U.S. Senate seat being left by Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

If you’re unable to catch the broadcast the entire program can be viewed online.

Civic Summit: 2012 U.S. Senate Forum from KLRU-TV on Vimeo.

We also recorded a web-only Q&A with questions submitted from the audience.

Civic Summit: 2012 U.S. Senate Forum Audience Q&A from KLRU-TV on Vimeo.

Schedule Change: 6/22 Obama's speech on Afghanistan

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PBS NewsHour will provide live coverage of President Obama’s speech regarding Afghanistan troop levels on Wednesday, June 22, at 7 pm.

We are currently waiting for details on the length of the speech to set the final lineup for the evening. This post will be updated as soon as the schedule is set.

Shows originally scheduled to air on June 22 were:

Secrets of the Dead “Blackbeard’s Lost Ship”
Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, was the most notorious pirate of his day. At the height of his rein, he commanded a fleet of four ships and a crew of 400 men. They were ruthless seafaring raiders who terrorizing vessels in American waters. In 1717, Blackbeard even blockaded the city of Charleston, crippling its economy. Eventually he was caught and beheaded by a posse from the Royal Navy. Now, 300 years later, a marine archaeology team believes they have found his sunken flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, off the North Carolina coast. The remains of the shipwreck are helping solve the most enduring mystery surrounding the infamous pirate captain – did he accidentally run his ship aground, or was it a deliberate plot to betray his crew and cheat them out of their share of the plunder?

Nova “Space Shuttle Disaster”
On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas just 16 minutes before it was due to land. All seven astronauts aboard perished and the implications for the future of the space shuttle program were enormous. What caused the Columbia tragedy? An engineering flaw? A failure within NASA? A lack of financing? Could this catastrophe have been avoided? Through interviews with astronauts and their families, as well as with members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, “Space Shuttle Disaster” gives viewers a new look at the Columbia tragedy – and at NASA itself. From the creation of NASA through decades of technical and financial compromises, the program gets to the heart of what went wrong – and how to make sure it never happens again.

Britain’s XFiles
The amazing true stories of Britain’s X-Files are uncovered for the first time. In 1950, a spate of UFO (unidentified flying object) sightings by Royal Air Force pilots inspired the British Government to set up the top-secret Flying Saucer Working Party. In 1952, UFOs reappeared over southern England and, sensationally, over the White House in Washington. As panic escalated, Winston Churchill demanded to know what was going on and the Ministry of Defence set up a permanent UFO Investigation Unit. We now know that over the next 50 years, the government unit secretly investigated and dismissed hundreds of UFO sightings. Why did it take so many years for the Government to admit its activities? This film travels back in time to examine the political climate in the early 1950s.

Austin City Limits
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings burn up the stage with their modern take on classic soul and funk. Texas treasure Carolyn Wonderland follows with her incendiary blend of rock, blues and soul.

Civic Summit: U.S. Senate Forum taping 6/8

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Join KLRU as an audience member for Civic Summit: U.S. Senate Forum on Wednesday, June 8th in KLRU’s Studio 6A. The forum begins at 7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm). The taping will take approximately one hour and will be followed by an audience question and answer with the participants. Attendance is free. Please RSVP here

Civic Summit: U.S. Senate Forum is a moderated conversation with the five leading G.O.P. politicians on the issues facing the 2012 U.S. Senate Race: Ted Cruz, Elizabeth Ames Jones, Tom Leppert, Michael Williams and Roger Williams. Discussions will include the failed Texas budget, foreign policy, health care reform and other issues.  As the campaign starts to heat up find out how do these potential candidates distinguish themselves from each other and how they view Texas versus the Feds. Moderated by Evan Smith, this is a co-production between KLRU and Texas Tribune.

Civic Summit is KLRU’s program for discourse on public affairs issues.