Posted on October 5th, 2011

KLRU is committed to providing the best programming and services to its Central Texas viewers and members, and we need your help. You are invited to participate in our annual viewer/member survey.

The survey should only take you a maximum of 15 minutes to complete. Your insights will help us guide the strategic direction of KLRU over the next several years. Please note that all information collected for this survey is for internal use only and will not be shared or sold to anyone.

At the end of the survey, you will be asked to join the new KLRU Creative Council. As a member of the Creative Council, you will have the opportunity to provide ongoing input regarding programming, community outreach as well as overall ideas and direction for KLRU. Your participation is completely up to you – and you can opt out at any time.

You can also join the KLRU Creative Council without taking the survey by visiting this page.

Thanks for your participation. We really appreciate your time!

Posted on October 5th, 2011

What Are The Costs? Increasing the Value of Healthcare

October 19 at 6:30 pm @ The Moody
Buy tickets here

As Americans continue to grapple with rising healthcare costs, professionals around the nation are exploring the most effective and efficient models of providing high quality healthcare at a lower cost to all. Dr. J. James Rohack and Dr. William Sage discuss the emerging healthcare models in Texas and the nation.

J. James Rohack MD, senior staff cardiologist at Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, is actively involved in patient care and serves as the director of the Center for Healthcare Policy. He is also medical director for system improvement of the Scott & White Health Plan and a professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. Rohack served as president of the American Medical Association in 2009-2010 and was the spokesperson for the AMA during the national debate on American healthcare reform.

William M. Sage, MD, JD, is Vice Provost for Health Affairs and James R. Dougherty Chair for Faculty Excellence at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves on the Fellows Council of the Hastings Center on bioethics and the editorial board of Health Affairs. In 1993, he headed four working groups of the Clinton administration’s Task Force on Health Care Reform. His edited books include Medical Malpractice and the U.S. Health Care System and Uncertain Times: Kenneth Arrow and the Changing Economics of Health Care.

Be sure to join us on October 19^th, for an insightful discussion about the increasing value of healthcare as Dr. Rohack and Dr. Sage share their ideas on how we can better understand the challenges of developing an effective and efficient plan for our country.

Posted on October 3rd, 2011

On September 27th the KLRU Studio was transformed into a 1920’s speakeasy in celebration of Ken Burn’s documentary film series Prohibition. Guests were treated to libations by Paula’s Texas Spirits and Tipsy Texan, bites by Zed’s and Dagar’s Catering and music by White Ghost Shivers. There was also a sneak preview of the new documentary series.

White Ghost Shivers lead singer dances with the Speakeasy crowd

For more photos visit the KLRU Flickr page.

Ken Burns’ Prohibition continues tonight through Tuesday at 7pm.

Posted on October 1st, 2011

October 10th, ARTHUR premiers it’s 15th season with a full week of new episodes from October 10-14 at 3pm.

#1501 Fifteen, Parts I-II
How much can Arthur and his friends do in 15 minutes? Arthur tries to race home to find his report and get back to school before class starts. George gets his shot to win big bucks for his school on the radio show “15 minutes of Fame.” Kate and Pal try to defeat the “Red Claw” and their mission of getting kids to play with cats by eliminating all imaginary friends. Can they all accomplish these missions impossible before the clock counts all the way down? Only time will tell!
#1502 I Wanna Hold Your Hand/Whistling in the Wind
I Wanna Hold Your Hand – During a shopping trip to the mall, Binky gets caught doing the uncoolest of all the uncool things in the world -holding his mom’s hand! But wait-did George really see that or is that Binky’s worst fear? Because now won’t everyone think that big bad Binky Barnes is a big baby? Whistling in the Wind – Everyone knows the Tibbles are exactly the same. They look the same, they act the same, they even have the same number of hairs on their heads. So if they are supposed to be exactly the same, why can Tommy whistle while Timmy can’t? Does this mean one twin is better than the other or just different?

#1503: Buster’s Secret Admirer/The Last King of Lambland
Buster’s Secret Admirer – Buster receives a box of chocolates in the mail from a secret admirer. Could it be Fern? Muffy? Francine?! It’s driving him crazy! Who could possibly like him that much?? The Last King of Lambland – James receives a gift from his uncle in Scotland…a toy lamb that will supposedly give its owner the powers of the legendary James the Squinty, leader of the clan MacDoogal-Donal’s! Will this new-found power go straight to James’ head?

#1504: Cents-Less/Buster the Lounge Lizard
Cents-Less – Mr. Ratburn decides it’s time for his class to learn a little about money…or, rather, the lack of it. For the entire weekend, no one in the class can spend a cent. Will the kids survive!? And can’t Muffy just use her credit card?? Or will she figure out how to use an actual skill and…barter? Buster the Lounge Lizard – Buster has the brand-new Dark Bunny Dark Buggy, complete with grappling hook and voice commands! But with all its bells and whistles, the Buggy seems to have a mind of its own and has zoomed its way into the mysterious teacher’s lounge, where no student dares to enter. Until…now?

#1505: To Eat or Not to Eat/S.W.E.A.T.
To Eat or Not to Eat – A brand new candy bar is in town! But why is it making everyone act so strangely? And what exactly is this ingredient called Tri-Enzomated Zorn Jelly, anyway? Buster decides to do a little digging into these mystery chemicals before he takes his first bite but he – and all the other kids – may not find the truth appetizing. S.W.E.A.T. – It’s time for the kids at Lakewood Elementary to take the Stoddard-Wilkins Elementary Aptitude Test, or “S.W.E.A.T.” But with anxiety running high, it becomes clear that the kids need to learn some relaxation techniques. Luckily, Mrs. MacGrady is on hand to teach them a thing or two about de-stressing.

WILD KRATTS “Predator Week” premieres October 17-21 at 4pm.
#137: Stuck on Sharks
Martin and Chris are on a mission to uncover the secret life of the mysterious Great White Shark. They use Aviva’s incredible Remora Rocketsub to “stick with” a female shark and soon learn that the giant predator of the sea actually has lots of challenges to contend with and that she could help them discover something that no one has ever seen before – the birth of Great White shark pups. But when Gourmand sniffs around looking for ingredients for his Shark Fin Soup recipe, the Wild Kratts team must help rescue their new friend.

#125: Mimic
While exploring why some animals mimic the looks of others, Martin and Chris encounter a cheetah cub and its mom. But before they know it, evil fashion designer, Donita Donata, ‘cat-naps’ the startled mom right in front of their eyes. The Wild Kratts team springs into action on a rescue mission before Donita adds the momma cheetah to her new fall line. Martin discovers that the cheetah cub has unexpected powers of mimicry, and it’s ability to mimic the ferocious honey badger – is the key to foiling Donita and protecting the cheetah.

#134: Little Howler
Chris and Martin are unpacking from an adventure and are surprised when a Wolf pup pops out of their bags. They have no idea where the little guy came from and must retrace their steps in order to return him back to his pack. They experience that wolves are a very social animal with a close pack structure and frequent visual and audio communication among individual members. With this knowledge and wolf-powered Creature Power Suits the bros are able to fend off a hungry cougar and finally return the pup to his wolf pack.

#140: Raptor Roundup
Martin and Chris challenge themselves to ID as many hawks, eagles, owls, falcons and vultures as they can. But the evil endangered species chef, Gaston Gourmand has his own plan for the raptors and has been capturing them all in his quest to find the tastiest bird wing. Will the Wild Kratts team succeed in rescuing the raptors before they become Gourmand’s next gourmet delicacy? They’ll have to use everything they know about classification and birds of prey – to round up the raptors and return them to where they belong – living free and in the wild!

#137: Stuck on Sharks
Martin and Chris are on a mission to uncover the secret life of the mysterious Great White Shark. They use Aviva’s incredible Remora Rocketsub to “stick with” a female shark and soon learn that the giant predator of the sea actually has lots of challenges to contend with and that she could help them discover something that no one has ever seen before – the birth of Great White shark pups. But when Gourmand sniffs around looking for ingredients for his Shark Fin Soup recipe, the Wild Kratts team must help rescue their new friend.

BARNEY & FRIENDS: BIG WORLD OF ADVENTURE, October 21, 11-noon.
Barney invites Ben & Emma aboard an imaginary Hot Air Balloon for a fun-filled journey around the world. As they drift along, going where the wind takes them, they remember past visits to the various countries they’re passing over. We get to tride a gondola in Venice, see a dancing horse in Spain, watch traditional drummers in Kenya, and lots, lots more!

Posted on October 1st, 2011

HALLOWEEN EPISODES:
– Sid the Science Kid, October 17th at 10am.
#218: Halloween Spooky Science Special
It’s Halloween time and Sid and his friends have dressed up in the spookiest and scariest costumes possible. Sid is a bat with big fangs. May is a spooky black cat. Gabriela is a furry, yucky spider. And Gerald is a super spooky skeleton that goes boo! Susie (dressed as a silly mad scientist) loves their costumes, and helps the kids discover that Halloween can be spooky and scientific! The kids investigate how bats are helpful creatures that catch mosquitoes, spiders are expert engineer web builders, cats are leaping aerial acrobats, and skeletons help hold up our body frames! At the Halloween party, the kids also investigate how to make icky, gooey green slime. Susie then ends the day with a special “Halloween Parade” song so the kids can march around and show off their spooky and scientific costumes!

– Dinosaur Train, October 20th at 9:30am
#211: Haunted Roadhouse/Big Pond Pumpkin Patch
Dad takes the kids on a special Night Train to Troodon Town, where the Troodons have decorated their Roundhouse into a “haunted house” for a spooky party. The kids end up meeting a strange new nocturnal creature – a mammal named Vlad Volaticotherium, who was hiding in the roundhouse trying to get some sleep. The Pteranodon family learns more about the customs of their neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, when they are invited for the first time to accompany them to the Big Pond to celebrate “Gourd Day” – a kind of Mesozoic Halloween. The kids see their first pumpkins, and Larry Lambeosaurus even shows our family how to hollow them out and carve faces into them.

– Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, October 21 at 8:30am
#131: Trick or Treat/King Cecil the Seahorse
Trick or Treat – It’s Halloween! The Cat in the Hat takes Sally and Nick trick or treating – his way! Around the world they go, meeting three new friends who teach them each of the tricks they do and share the treats that they like to eat. Back at home Nick and Sally are ready to go trick or treating, with plenty of new tricks to share! King Cecil the Seahorse – Sally is off to fight the “dragon”! But Nick wants to go, he doesn’t want to stay and watch the baby princess, he wants to go on an adventure. The Cat explains that babies can be part of the adventure. Why don’t they go meet King Cecil the Seahorse, he takes all his babies wherever he goes! Nick and Sally discover that taking care of babies is much more fun than fighting dragons.

– Wild Kratts
#136: A Bat in the Brownies, October 24th at 4pm
When a little brown bat crashlands into a plate of Jimmy Z’s famous brownies, Martin and Chris out set out to convince Aviva, Jimmy Z and Koki that bats are nothing to be afraid of. With bat activated Creature Power Suits, the bros follow join their new friend on a nocturnal fly about, and the entire crew must come to the rescue when the bat colony’s roost is destroyed by a lightning bolt. In the end the Wild Kratts crew “goes batty,” as they gain a new appreciation for bat ecology, predators and insects and echolocation, and learn to love bats.
#131: Masked Bandits, October 25th at 4pm
As they prepare for a creature costume party, the Wild Kratts team begins to notice all sorts of strange things happening in the Tortuga HQ. Jimmy is sure there is a ghost or monster living with them, but the Kratt brothers are convinced it’s some kind of creature. When the gang sets out to discover who is causing all the trouble, they discover that certain animals gravitate towards human habitation because it provides food and protection from predators.

Posted on September 8th, 2011

Wednesday Science Night presents

Nature: Clever Monkeys 7 pm on September 14th
Love, language, guilt, envy, generosity, secrets, lies and sophisticated society are not unique to humans. We share those complex traits with our relatives — the monkeys. Following along as the babies of two different species are reared, viewers learn how and what monkeys teach their young. Monkeys around the world rely on that knowledge to adapt to the remarkable variety of environments they now call home. Who are the cleverest monkeys? And how much of human experience do they really share?

Posted on September 1st, 2011

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is: NATURE “Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air.”

NATURE “Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air”
Sunday, September 25, from 7-8 p.m.
repeats:
Monday, September 26, from 2-3 a.m.
Tuesday, Sepember 27, from 4-5 a.m.
Wednesday, September 28, from 7-8 p.m.
Sunday, October 2, from 2-3 a.m.

Hummingbirds represent one of nature’s most interesting paradoxes — they are the tiniest of birds, yet they qualify as some of the toughest and most energetic creatures on the planet. New knowledge gained from scientists currently making great breakthroughs in hummingbird biology makes this a perfect time to focus on these shimmering, flashing jewels of the natural world. Stunningly beautiful high-definition, high speed footage of hummingbirds in the wild combined with high-tech presentations of their remarkable abilities help us to understand the world of hummingbirds as we never have before.

Posted on September 1st, 2011

As children head back to school, PBS KIDS makes it easy for families to stay healthy and active with the PBS KIDS Eat Smart for a Great Start initiative.  To help start the school year off right, PBS KIDS has developed themed television programming, online content, and partnerships with Allrecipes.com and Produce for Kids® — to provide kids and parents with resources that support health and physical activitity. These resources are available on PBSPARENTS.org/eatsmart.

SESAME STREET: What are Super Foods? Join Elmo and the Sesame Street gang as they learn.
4230 – Saved by Super Foods!   (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)
4254 – The Cookie Touch (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)
4232 – Veggies Revolt (Sunday & Monday, September 18 & 19, 2011)

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT: Learn about milk, honey, and more with the Cat in the Hat.
120 – Finola’s Farm (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)
119 – Thump (Friday, September 9, 2011)
117 – The Tree Doctor (Thursday, September 15, 2011)
101 – Show me the Honey (Monday, September 19, 2011)
105 – Flower Power (Monday, September 26, 2011)

SUPER WHY!: The Super Readers learn about sharing and getting active in these episodes of SUPER WHY!.
128 – Sleeping Beauty (Monday, September 26, 2011)
130 – The Goose & The Golden Eggs (Wednesday, September 28, 2011)
131 – The Magic Porridge Pot (Friday, September 30, 2011)

WILD KRATTS: Creature adventures await with Martin and Chris Kratt!
120 – The Blue and Gray (Friday, September 9, 2011)
110 – Honey Seekers (Monday, September 12, 2011)

ARTHUR: Get moving with Arthur and friends!
116 – Arthur & the Crunch Cereal Contest (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)
119 – DW Rides Again & Arthur Makes the Team (Thursday, September 15, 2011)
1410 – The Long Road Home (Tuesday, September 20, 2011)
1403 – The Play’s the Thing (Thursday, September 29, 2011)

SID THE SCIENCE KID: Get movin’ and groovin’ with Sid the Science Kid as he explores topics ranging from muscles to what makes a ball bounce.
136 – Special Mom Day Meal (Tuesday, September 6, 2011)
137 – I Have Muscles Where? (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)
138 – Sid’s Amazing Lungs (Thursday, September 8, 2011)
139 -  How Did My Dog Do That? (Friday, September 9, 2011)
203 – That’s the Way the Ball Bounces (Monday, September 12, 2011)
205 – Sid’s Super Kick (Thursday, September 15, 2011)
203 – That’s the Way the Ball Bounces (Friday, September 16, 2011)

DINOSAUR TRAIN: In “Triceratops for Lunch,” the Pteranadon family eats lunch with a Triceratops and learns what it means to be a herbivore.
102 – Triceratops for Lunch (Friday, September 9, 2011)

CURIOUS GEORGE: Monkey around with Curious George as he learns all about exercising and more!
402 – Juicy George/The Big Picture: Juicy George (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)
401 – Personal Trainer/Sprout Outing:  Curious George, Personal Trainer  (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)
404 – Inside Story/Little Fish, Big Pond: The Inside Story  (Thursday, September 15, 2011)
304 – Mulch Ado About Nothing/What Goes Up (Thursday, September 29, 2011)

MARTHA SPEAKS: Join Martha for adventures in the kitchen and more!
122 – Ice Scream (Monday, September 12, 2011)
124 – Alice Twinkle Toes and Martha Fails the Course (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)
128 – T.D. and the Steak Tree/T.D. and Martha Gopher Broke  (Thursday, September 22, 2011)
131 – Martha Bakes (Wednesday, September 28, 2011)

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG: Clifford has some “food for thought” in these food-related episodes.
222 – Food for Thought/Friends 4 Ever (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)
104 – Clifford’s Carnival and Clifford’s Doggy Reunion (Monday, September 19, 2011)
105 – The Great Race/Tummy Trouble (Tuesday, September 20, 2011)
106 – Cleo Comes to Town & False Friends  (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)
108 – A New Friend for Clifford (Friday, September 23, 2011)

Posted on August 18th, 2011

By popular demand, we will re-air Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain this Sunday, August 21, at 5:00 PM on Q.

This film (from the producers of MUHAMMAD: LEGACY OF A PROPHET) takes viewers on an epic journey back into one of the most captivating and important periods of world history — a centuries-long period when Muslims, Christians and Jews inhabited the same far corner of Western Europe and thrived.

Watch the full episode. See more Cities of Light.

Posted on August 17th, 2011

PBS today announced its newest educational app for iPad, LITTLE PIM SPANISH, is now available on the App Store. Adding to its successful PBS KIDS mobile app lineup, the new curriculum-based app helps children acquire Spanish language vocabulary while playing games with Little Pim, an animated panda bear who is the star of the direct-to-DVD LITTLE PIM language series.

“We know from research that the early years in a child’s development are an ideal time to introduce a foreign language, so it was important to us to create a language learning app for preschool-age kids,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “LITTLE PIM SPANISH was designed specifically to introduce the Spanish language to young kids at this stage, when their brains are the most receptive to the sounds of different languages.”

“LITTLE PIM SPANISH is our first Spanish language learning app, which is something that parents have been asking us to develop,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development, and Innovation, PBS.  “Our PBS KIDS apps have been downloaded more than one million times to date, and we expect that number to continue to grow with the introduction of this new app that we know is
so in demand.”

LITTLE PIM SPANISH is based on LITTLE PIM, an award-winning foreign-language teaching DVD series. The app helps young children develop basic Spanish vocabulary through three interactive games: “Eating and Drinking,” “Playtime” and “Wake up Smiling.”  With three levels of play in each game, the app introduces a total of 60 vocabulary words, including nouns, verbs and short phrases.  At each level, the game presents vocabulary words and phrases both visually and aurally, then provides activities that help players acquire the vocabulary, and lastly validates and reinforces newly acquired knowledge.

The LITTLE PIM SPANISH App is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

To learn about all PBS KIDS apps, visit PBSKIDS.org/mobile.

LITTLE PIM SPANISH is the latest addition to the PBS KIDS lineup of educational mobile content, joining other successful apps such as the PBS KIDS Video for iPad App and the SUPER WHY App.  With a transmedia approach, PBS KIDS is increasingly serving children wherever they live, learn, and play — through mobile devices, as well as on TV, online, in the classroom, and through a new line of educational
toys.

About LITTLE PIM
LITTLE PIM is the award-winning language direct-to-DVD series that makes it easy and fun to introduce young children to a foreign language at the age when they learn best.  Using the Entertainment Immersion MethodTM, LITTLE PIM uses a combination of live action segments with animation of Little Pim the panda, the series’ lovable teacher. The method’s strategic use of repetition and building blocks of vocabulary guide young children through an easy, fun way to learn their first concepts in a second language. LITTLE PIM was designed specifically for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.  Research proves that children who learn a second language also tend to have stronger verbal, cognitive and analytical skills. LITTLE PIM was developed by Julia Pimsleur Levine, daughter of the renowned language teaching pioneer, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, in consultation with Dr. April Benasich, a leading neuroscientist.