Posted on February 8th, 2012

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is: NATURE: Raccoon Nation where we learn that we might actually be making racoons smarter.

Nature’s “Raccoon Nation”
Wednesday, February 8, 7pm

repeating:
Friday, February 10, 4-5am
Sunday, February 12, 2-3am & 5-6pm

Are we, in an effort to outwit raccoons, actually making them smarter and unwittingly contributing to their evolutionary success? Are the ever more complex obstacles that our fast-paced urban world throws at them actually pushing the development of raccoon brains? In this film, scientists from around the world share their thoughts and work to help explore this scientific theory. Attempting to do something that has never been done before, they closely follow a family of urban raccoons as they navigate the complex world of a big city.

Posted on February 5th, 2012

Four new episodes of DINOSAUR TRAIN blow into the schedule for “Weather Week,” Feb. 6-10th.

Buddy and his family learn all about how earthquakes, forest fires, droughts and hurricanes affect animals and the environment.

Don’t panic! Mom, Dad and the Conductor have excellent advice on how to stay safe during a variety of different weather events!

Episodes:

THE EARTHQUAKE/NURSERY CAR
Monday, Feb. 6 & Friday Feb. 10 at 9:30am
Mom takes the kids on a playdate with Tank Triceratops to the desert, where they meet a distant relative of Tank’s, an early Ceratopsian named Penelope Protoceratops. The Conductor points out that Penelope lives in a part of the world that gets a lot of earthquakes, and sure enough, the kids experience their first quake with Penelope. Mom and the Conductor have prepared the kids with excellent advice about what to do in an earthquake, so everyone does fine. When the family rides the Dinosaur Train, they learn that a new car has been added – a Nursery Car, with dozens of eggs in little, padded nests, attended by their expectant moms and dads. The kids watch the eggs hatch, and try to guess which hatchling goes with which dinosaur parent.

THE FOREST FIRE/THE LOST BIRD
Tuesday, Feb.7 at 9:30am
When a forest fire comes to woods not far from the family nest at Pteranodon Terrace, the family takes the Dinosaur Train to visit a nearby area where a fire has already been, and the Conductor leads the kids on a Nature Tracker hike through the woods to see how new life is growing back – even after the forest fire’s devastation. Buddy and Tiny ride the Dinosaur Train for a playdate with their old friend Petey Peteinosaurus, and learn that the train has added a new Aviary Car, for their various flying passengers. Suddenly, they are joined by a lost bird named Judy Jehelornis, who was displaced by the recent forest fires, and can’t remember where her home is. Buddy, Tiny, and Petey act as detectives to figure out from clues where Judy’s home is, and the Conductor makes sure she’s brought safely home on the train.

DRY TIMES AT PTERANODON TERRACE/BIG MISTY SEA
Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 9:30am
When the weather has been extremely dry for several weeks, all the water holes at Pteranodon Terrace dry up. The Lambeosaurus family decides to move away in search of water, which upsets the kids. Dad and Mom decide to take the kids to the Big Pond on a camping trip, where they will wait out the drought and return home when it rains again. Don doesn’t want to leave his home, even temporarily, and decides to perfect a “rain dance” that will make the rain return. Dad learns that he’s been chosen to compete in the big annual Fishing Contest at the Big Misty Sea, and is one of three contestants. The whole family rides there on the Dinosaur Train to cheer Dad on. They learn that the contestants are Dad, the Old Spinosaurus, and Dad’s childhood friend and rival, a huge raptor named Marco Megaraptor. The three all end up fighting over Chester, the legendary biggest fish in the Big Misty Sea.

HURRICANE AT PTERANODON TERRACE/RAFTING THE CRETAC
Thursday, Feb. 9 & Monday, Feb. 13 at 9:30am
The long-awaited rains finally return to Pteranodon Terrace, but grow into a huge rainstorm that grows even bigger – into a hurricane! Dad hasn’t seen it blow like this since he was a kid. They seek shelter, and Don discovers an entrance to a cave below their nest, where not only the Pteranodons, but also their other neighbors, the Lambeorsaurus family and Cindy Cimolestes, all take shelter for the night. In the morning, the storm has passed, but everyone must pitch in to rebuild their various nests. The family is cleaning up the mess left over from the hurricane, and discover that a raft of logs has washed up two refugees from across the Western Interior Sea – a turtle named Aidan Adocus, and a small mammal named Tommy Ptilodus. Our family learns of their adventure, crossing the sea in the storm, and washing up at Pteranodon Terrace. They decide to take their new friends to the Dinosaur Train, and ride back with them to their home in Appalachia.

Posted on January 10th, 2012

We are proud to announce that KLRU is one of 9 pilot stations chosen to place local content on the PBS iPad and iPhone apps. The localization process is a little clunky, so we’ve put a page together to help explain it, http://www.klru.org/mobile/app.php

Right now we have 6 episodes of Arts In Context (Caballero is forthcoming), 6 episodes of CTG (many more will be added after the transition to HD), 8 episodes of Overheard, 9 episodes of The Daytripper, and we are about to put 15 shorts from Collective.

It’s a pretty exciting project, we hope you think so too. Enjoy KLRU on the go!

Posted on January 6th, 2012

SUPER WHY!
Time Travel Week
January 16-20, 2012

#207 Super WHY and Jasper’s Cowboy Wish
Monday, Jan. 16, 9am (repeats: Friday, Jan. 20, 9am)
Howdy Partner!  Whyatt and his friends are playing cowboys, but Pig can’t join in because he doesn’t know what cowboys do.  The super readers jump into the tale Jasper’s Cowboy Wish and make the acquaintance of a cowpoke named Jasper who’s desperate to become a rompin’ stompin’ cowboy if only he could get the hang of it!  When Jasper must use his cowboy skills to save the day, will he be a hero…or will this be his last roundup?
Educational Objectives: To explore the Old West.  Young viewers will sing the alphabet, practice the magic of spelling, learn what the word saddle means, and use the power to read to change the story.

#208 Super WHY and Baby Dino’s Big Discovery
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 9am (repeats: Monday, Jan. 23, 9am)
ROAR! Pig invited his friends over to play dinosaurs, but Whyatt can’t figure out which toy dinosaur he has.  So he super readers soar into Baby Dino’s Big Discovery where they lend a hand to a baby dinosaur searching for his mommy.  They’ll need to look closely to figure out what kind of dinosaur Baby Dino is…and be careful to avoid being eaten while they do!
Educational Objectives: To learn about dinosaurs, follow the alphabet, rhyme with ANT words, find out what the words “herbivore” and “carnivore” mean, and use the power to read to change the story.

#209 Super WHY and Princess Gwennie Saves the Day
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 9am (repeats: Saturday, Jan. 21 & Tuesday, Jan. 24, 9am)
Princess Pea is feeling dramatic (as usual) and she and Red are staging a play. Princess is pretending she’s a queen but Red doesn’t know what to be!  The super readers fly into the story of a princess with a silly sense of humor and a big job to do.  They help Gwennie use her talents to save the day, and Red discovers her own special gifts.
Educational Objectives: To learn about medieval times.  Kids will sing the alphabet, practice the magic of spelling,  learn what the word “harp” means and use the power to read to change the story.

#210 Super WHY and The Great Robot Race
Thursday, Jan. 19, 9am (repeats: Wednesday, Jan. 25 & Saturday, Jan. 28, 9am)
Ready…steady…splat!  Whyatt and his puppy want to win the porridge race, but the bowl of breakfast cereal keeps falling off the puppy’s back.  This is a super MESSY problem!  The reading friends visit The Great Robot Race and encounter a boy named Bradbury who is determined to help his robo-doggie to win a race too!  Both Bradbury and the super readers will have to use a little creative problem solving to help robo-doggie zoom to the head of the pack!
Educational Objectives: To learn about innovation, experiment with the alphabet and rhyme with ING words. Preschoolers will also learn what the word “fins” means and use the power to read to change the story.

Posted on January 3rd, 2012

The new year is a time for resolutions and for many of us that includes a renewed commitment to exercise and healthy eating. Sid the Science Kid premieres “Get Up and Move!” this January, a special episode designed to motivate kids to run and play outside and make healthy food choices.

Sid the Science Kid
“Get Up and Move!”

A Special Episode on Exercise and Healthy Eating
Premieres Friday, January 6, 10am
(repeats Monday, January 16 & Thursday, February 9, 10am)

Sid is super excited, because teacher Susie announced that today is full of surprises-healthy surprises! First the class walks to a local park where they get to run around and play outside in the fresh air! Susie teaches the kids how to do yoga, and when it’s snack time, the kids get another special surprise-they get to pick fresh vegetables from a community garden! Yum! Next, Susie teaches the kids her favorite childhood game-Red Light, Green Light! It’s a great way to move your body, and it’s fun! Back home, Sid tells his Mom about his amazing day, and Mom is inspired to plant a garden in the backyard. Sid then comes up with a new family tradition-taking a walk every day together! It’s easy to do and it’s a fun, healthy way to move your body!

Downloadable activity sheets

Sid the Science Kid Healthy Food Activity Sheet (PDF)
Sid the Science Walking Coloring Sheet (PDF)

Posted on December 2nd, 2011

The December pledge drive is here and as we approach the end of the year, KLRU needs to raise $240,000 to continue the kind of quality programming and community engagement that Central Texas has come to expect for almost 50 years!

Whether you can donate $1 or $100, your support matters – we have so many ways to thank you for your donation and are excited to present some truly special programs over the next few weeks for your enjoyment!

• Through out the pledge drive, we are going to be giving away t-shirts to folks who comment on our #whyKLRU blog, Facebook and Twitter posts. Everyday, we’ll give away a prize package that includes 5 t-shirts featuring KLRU Q, Central Texas Gardner, Austin City Limits, PBS Newshour, and KLRU-TV – all you have to do is share a comment, a story, a question and you’ll be entered to win! We’ll pick winners everyday, so comment often!

All these could be yours, just let us know #whyKLRU!

• Tonight is the PBS Arts Festival premier of Andrea Bocelli: One Night in Central Park - a beautiful concert made even more special by the exclusive offer for KLRU viewers to see Andrea Bocelli in concert when he comes to Austin in February. Tune in tonight at 8pm (or catch the repeat, Sunday evening at 6pm) to find out how you can receive tickets to the show!

• On Sunday evening at 8:30pm, we are going to be live in the KLRU studios with the first episode of Downton Abbey! Whether you’ve seen it before or have been dying to see what everyone’s been talking about, you won’t want to miss this evening. We’ll have special thank you gifts, with the opportunity to see an advanced screening of Downton Abbey Season 2 which starts in January 2012.

Don’t Resist! Watch the preview of Downton Abbey, Season 2

Posted on December 1st, 2011

DINOSAUR TRAIN

“Don’s Winter Wish/Festival of Lights”
Mon., Dec. 5 @ 9:30am
(repeats: Wed., Dec. 14 & Fri., Dec. 23)
On a return trip to the North Pole, the Pteranadon family is caught in a snow storm — but did Don’s wish for snow make the storm happen? Then, while at the North Pole, the family stops by a Northern Troodon Festival of Lights to view the Aurora Borealis and join in an ice skating and singing spectacular.

BISCUIT BROTHERS HOLIDAY SPECIALS

“Musical Celebrations”
Saturday, Dec. 10th, @ 9:30 am; Saturday, Dec. 31st, at 9:30 am
Hanukkah (Chanukah,) Kwanzaa, Hispanic tradition, birthdays and other holidays and celebrations are explored after Tiny Scarecrow accidentally releases all the holiday melodies from Melody Garden. This song filled special shows how a “holiday” can be a good time to learn about other cultures and traditions and a great time to share your culture and traditions with others.

“Merry Musical Christmas”
Saturday, Dec. 24th, @ 9:30 am
The whole family will sing and laugh along with this heart-felt musical nod to traditional Christmas specials of the past. Join the Biscuit Brothers and company on Christmas Eve as they use music to celebrate on the magical, musical farm and try to cheer up Tiny Scarecrow who sits high atop Symphony Barn waiting for snow.

WORDGIRL

“A World Without WordGirl”
Fri., Dec, 16 @ 3:30pm
(repeats: Thu., Dec. 22 & Mon., Jan. 2)
Blowing out her birthday candles after one too many superhero interruptions, Becky wishes for a world without WordGirl. She realizes her wish has come true and Chuck has become a king who has imposed strange rules. Will Becky find the last piece of enchanted birthday cake so that she can wish for the return of WordGirl and make things go back to how they were before?

CLIFFORD PUPPY DAYS

Mon. Dec. 19 @ 11am
(repeats: Fri., Dec. 23 @ 11am)
“The Cookie Crumbles” – When Mrs. Z presents the kids with candy canes, they decide to make cookies to thank her. But as their cookie list grows and their standards rise, they become fed up with frosting and each other. With Clifford’s help, they remember that Christmas is about celebrating being together.

Tue., Dec. 20 @ 11am
“The Big, Big Present” – The kittens accidentally break the Menorah. Their “sticky” attempts to fix it result in a special, if unusual, Menorah that becomes part of their annual celebration. Hanukah Plunder Blunder: Zo can’t resist sneaking in and opening all eight of his presents on the first night of Hanukah. He soon realizes that he’s spoiled his own fun by taking the surprise out of each night. Flo comes to the rescue by allowing him to share in her new gifts.

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!

“Hooray for Hair/Ice is Nice”
Mon., Dec. 19 @ 8:30am
(repeats: Thu., Dec. 29; Sat., Dec. 3 @ 8:30am & Sun., Jan. 1 @ 6:30am)
“Hooray for Hair” – Sally and Nick are getting their hair cut today; maybe they should try new hairstyles! A trip to meet three of Cat’s friends (and some styling help from the Wig-o-lator) will help them decide! Should they have yak hair? No, too hot! How about hair like a fur seal? Not quite, too short. A porcupine? No way! How will they ever get a hug from their moms with hair that spiky? They decide that the hair they have is what’s perfect for them!

“Ice is Nice” – Nick and Sally want some nice cold lemonade, but there’s no more ice cubes in Sally’s fridge! A trip to Freeze-your-knees Snowland will fix that! They meet Cat’s friend Polly the polar bear who introduces Sally and Nick to all the different kinds of ice that make up her home. After trying many types of ice, they find the kind that will be perfect for their lemonade!

SHALOM SESAME – CHANUKAH: THE MISSING MENORAH

Mon., Dec. 19 @ noon; Tue., Dec. 20 @ 6:30am; Thu., Dec. 22 @ 6:30am & noon
Moishe Oofnik is selling 2,000 year old sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts traditionally eaten on Chanukah), and Anneliese is bringing her family’s menorah to light at Shoshana’s in celebration of the first night of Chanukah. Grover the waiter is serving levivot (potato pancakes or latkes), when he and Anneliese are both startled by Brosh and a chicken. Anneliese’s menorah (a nine-branched candelabrum) goes flying.  Anneliese can’t find her menorah anywhere, so everyone helps her look. The pressure is on to find it before sunset, and everyone sings a song about the search. Finally, Avigail finds it and everyone heads inside to light the candles.  In the end, the Sumsum crew lights the menorah together and sings a song.

Posted on November 3rd, 2011

The Cat in the Hat Knows Lot About That! is taking another trip – this time under the sea!

The week of November 7-11 will become “Underwater Week” for the Cat, Nick, Sally and all their friends above and below sea level.

Young Cat-viewers also have a new way to learn with the show beyond the broadcast. Last week, PBS KIDS launched their largest offering of interactive math content for preschoolers to date. Designed to help children ages 2-8 build critical math skills, there are more than 40 new games accessible on computers, mobile devices, and interactive whiteboards including many featuring The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Available free on the new PBS KIDS Lab website (PBSKIDS.org/lab), each suite links a set of games across platforms so that kids engage with the same characters as they move from device to device.

November 7: #126

Blue Feet Are Neat
Synopsis: Nick and Sally are trying out their new blue rubber boots but they keep getting stuck in the mud! Cat knows just who can help them – Buster, the Blue-footed Booby bird. Buster is only too happy to show them how his wide, flat blue feet help him move easily over the muddy shore. With Cat’s help to make their boots wide and flat, Sally and Nick can now walk across the mud without getting stuck – just like Buster!
Educational Objective: How the feet of the Blue-Footed Booby bird is adapted to its shore habitat – to walk on muddy shores and dive for fish in the ocean.

A Little Reef Magic
Synopsis: Nick has difficulty learning a “disappearing” magic trick, when who should appear but The Cat in the Hat! He takes Nick and Sally to the coral reef of Scoobamareen. There they learn that distraction is a great way for some sea creatures to hide themselves from other fish who might be looking for a bite to eat. Back at home, Nick and Sally use what they learned to make their stuffed panda disappear!
Educational Objective: Reef fish use a variety of physical ‘tricks’ to discourage predators.

November 8: #129 *Premiere!

Digging the Deep
Synopsis: Nick and Sally are exploring how deep they can dig in the sandbox. The Cat arrives to whisk them away to the deepest place he knows – the bottom of the Swirly Whirly Ocean! They meet up with Aurilia the Angler fish who guides them to the very bottom of the ocean floor. Now that they’ve gone as deep as deep can be, it’s off to find the next adventure!
Educational Objective: Exploring the different levels of the ocean environment, down through the deep Twilight Zone to the ocean floor.

Puddle Puzzle
Synopsis: Nick and Sally are excited to jump in the giant puddle in their backyard – but it’s gone! Where did it go? With the help of Cat’s Seussian camera, they see that the puddle has turned into water vapour. Off they go to the Bluey Blue Sky to follow their puddle. They discover that the water vapour rises high into the sky, then cools off and falls as rain. They go back home and are delighted to see that their puddle is back.
Educational Objective: The sun turns water into vapour, which rises up to form clouds. As the air cools, the water vapour condenses back into water droplets, which soon return to the earth again, as rain.

November 9: #130 *Premiere!

Help with Kelp
Synopsis: It’s Fish’s birthday and Nick and Sally want to get him a special present, but who can they ask for ideas? Cat’s friend Gary the Garibaldi fish might have an idea! Off to the Briny Blue Sea where they meet a variety of creatures in a kelp forest who use the kelp for both food and protection. Back at home they make a picture of the kelp forest for Fish. It’s the best present he could ever hope for!
Educational Objective: Exploring the wonderful variety of animals that depend upon underwater forests of giant kelp.

Treetop Tom
Synopsis: Nick and Sally are playing when their ball gets caught up high in the branches of a tree. Oh how they wish they were tall! Being tall is something Cat’s friend Treetop Tom knows all about. They meet the giraffe in the So Sunny Savannah, and with the help of Cat’s “tallerizers”, Nick and Sally are as tall as Tom! They soon learn that being small has its benefits, and luckily, Cat has stilts so he can get their ball out of the tree back at home.
Educational Objective: Seeing the world through the eyes of the tallest mammal on earth – the giraffe.

November 10: repeat of #118

Incredible Journey
Synopsis: Nick and Sally are playing in their homemade Thingamajigger, when the Cat arrives to take them on a real adventure! Off they go to meet salmon Sam, who is returning to the pool where she hatched so she can lay her eggs. With the help of the Subber-e-blubber, they follow Samantha underwater, upriver on her incredible journey!
Educational Objective: When they are ready to lay eggs, salmon make a long journey upstream, against all odds, to return to the pool where they, themselves, were hatched.

Bamboozled
Synopsis: Sally needs to find a gift for her stuffed panda, Pammy. Who better to ask than a real panda? The Cat takes them to meet Zhu Zhu, a giant panda who helps the kids to discover all the wonderful things you can do with her favorite food, bamboo. Bamboo turns out to be a perfect gift for Pammy!
Educational Objective: Bamboo is an incredible plant (in fact, a type of grass) that can be used for many things, from food to flutes to furniture!

November 11: repeat of #104

A Plan for Sand
Synopsis: Nick and Sally are playing in their sandbox, but there’s not enough room for them to build their castles. The Cat arrives to take them to the biggest sandbox they’ll ever see! In the desert, they meet Carmela the Camel who teaches them about how camels are adapted to live in the dry, sandy climate.
Educational Objective: Camels’ bodies are perfectly adapted to life in a dry, sandy desert. Their eyelashes keep sand out of their eyes, their wide feet help them walk on top of the sand, and their humps store fat when food is hard to find.

Whale Music
Synopsis: Nick and Sally have made a song to sing to their moms, but they can’t get the ending quite right. The Cat in the Hat takes them to meet the best singing teacher in the world, Humphrey the Humpback Whale! While bobbing in the ocean, Humphrey teaches the kids that whales communicate by singing, and that it’s not how you sing that matters, but what you’re saying in the song. The kids return home to delight their mothers with their song!
Educational Objective: Whales communicate with one another by “singing.” Also, they use their blow-holes to breathe, and can jump out of the water in a maneuver called “breaching.”

Posted on October 12th, 2011

Child abuse is the subject of a new national documentary debuting in Austin on Monday, October 17th. The documentary, When the Bough Breaks is an unprecedented vehicle that can change how society looks at child abuse. Shot at the Center for Child Protection here in Austin, this documentary takes viewers behind-the-scenes for a never-before-seen glimpse into a child abuse investigation utilizing the children’s advocacy center model. Last year almost 40,000 child victims received critical services at a children’s advocacy center in Texas.

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, the Center for Child Protection, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas and Blue Cross Blue Shield invite the public to attend a special screening of the film before it airs nationally.

To reserve your seat, please email rsvp@cactx.org

Screening of When the Bough Breaks
AT&T Conference Center, 1900 University Ave.
Monday, October 17 – reception at 5:30 and screening at 6:30 p.m.

Posted on October 12th, 2011

Women, War & Peace, a new five-hour series airing at 9pm Tuesdays through October and November, is a comprehensive global media initiative on women’s strategic role in global conflict.  A co-production of THIRTEEN and Fork Films, Women, War & Peace challenges the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men’s domain and places women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security. Featuring narrators Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard, the series reveals that the majority of today’s conflicts are not fought by nations and their armies, but rather by gangs, insurgent groups, and warlords armed with small arms and improvised weapons.  Women have become primary targets in these conflicts and though they are suffering unprecedented casualties they are simultaneously emerging as critical partners in brokering peace and as leaders in forging new international laws governing conflict.  With depth and complexity, Women, War & Peace spotlights the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan, and Colombia to Liberia.

October 18: Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the astonishing story of the Liberian women who took on the warlords and the regime of dictator Charles Taylor in the midst of a brutal civil war, and won a once unimaginable peace for their shattered country in 2003. As the rebel noose tightened around the capital city of Monrovia, thousands of women – ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim – formed a thin but unshakeable line between the opposing forces. Armed only with white t-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they literally faced down the killers who had turned Liberia into hell on earth. In one memorable scene, the women barricaded the site of stalled peace talks in Ghana and refused to move until a deal was done. Their demonstrations culminated in Taylor’s exile and the rise of Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Inspiring and uplifting, Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a compelling example of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations. Directed by Gini Reticker. Produced by Abigail E. Disney. Co-produced by Johanna Hamilton.