KLRU’s winners include:
Arts/Entertainment – Program Feature/Segment
KLRU Collective: Asian Occasion, Eve Tarlo, Producer/Editor.

Arts/Entertainment – Program/Special
Arts In Context: Trouble Puppet, Lauren Burton, Producer & Mario Troncoso, Producer/Editor/Videographer.

Community Service- KLRU: Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project 2012
Sara Robertson, Producer
Betsy Gerdeman, Executive Producer
Maury Sullivan, Community Engagement
Karen Bernstein , Producer
Cookie Ruiz, Project Supervisor

The Light/ The Holocaust & Humanity Project was an education partnership that promoted the protection of human rights against bigotry and hate through arts, education, and public dialogue. The culmination of KLRU’s contribution to Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project 2012 however, was a series of original programs including
Arts In Context : Producing Light; Overheard with Evan Smith “Elie Wiesel“; Civic Summit: Creating a Community of Respect; and SPARK at The Moody “Gerda Weissmann Klein.”

Congratulations to all nominees, winners and KLRU staff who make this work possible.

Thank you to everyone who has joined our Countdown Campaign so far!

After a huge outpouring of support yesterday, we went from having $115,000 left to raise this September to $93,000. So many folks have mailed in checks, called in with their gifts, or given online and we’re so appreciative of your effort and your generosity – thank you!

The Countdown Campaign ends on September 30, the end of KLRU’s fiscal year, and we need your help to end the year with a balanced budget. We sincerely appreciate everyone who supports us throughout the year – this is your public television station and couldn’t exist without you. If you’re able to make an additional gift this week (or join for the very first time), it would make a huge difference to KLRU right now.

Keep the Countdown Campaign going and donate today!

Titanic with Len Goodman at 7 pm
In this program, Len Goodman, a judge on “Dancing with the Stars,” discovers how the impact of the Titanic disaster is still felt a century after the ship sank. Goodman has his own connection to the ship. Before he was a dancer, he was a welder for Harland and Woolf. This was company that, from 1909 to 1912, built the Titanic in Belfast. Goodman worked for the same company 50 years later, at their yard in East London. To mark the centenary of the Titanic tragedy in 2012, Goodman explores the ship’s 100-year legacy. He learns how for victims’ families and for the survivors themselves, the sinking was just the beginning of the story. Generations later, those stories are still unfolding as Goodman meets the modern-day descendants to learn how, 100 years after it sank, the Titanic’s legacy lives on.

Saving the Titanic at 8 pm
She was the pride of the British Empire. A leading example of state-of-the-art engineering in a time of groundbreaking scientific and technological innovations on a global scale: the Titanic. Yet she sank in less than three hours after striking an iceberg on April 14, 1912. We all know about the many deaths in the icy waters, the fates of the rich and famous on the ship’s maiden voyage and the dramas that played out in the Titanic’s last hours. What is less known however is how a team of shipbuilders and engineers attempted to save the stricken vessel. Seeking to answer the question of what happened in the engine and boiler rooms after the collision, this program tells the story of the disaster from below deck, with the action taking place between the time the crew embark the Titanic at Southampton and the eventual sinking of the ship. Based upon eyewitness accounts, this is the story of nine central characters from the engineering crew as they work among the huge, coal-fired furnaces heating the boilers and massive dynamos whirring to satisfy the ship’s demand for electricity. Their personal stories of bravery are recounted as the men fought courageously to hold back the power of the sea and keep the power systems running, even when they learned that all was lost. Most of these men died but their actions saved many lives.

American Masters “Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel” at 8 pm
No ordinary writer and no ordinary woman — “Gone with the Wind” created two of the world’s greatest lovers, Scarlett and Rhett, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and has sold more than 30 million copies. Born into Atlanta’s upper crust in 1900, Margaret Mitchell challenged stifling social restrictions at every turn. A charismatic force to be reckoned with, she had a great sense of humor, was one of Georgia’s first newspaper women and was extremely generous with the money she made from “Gone with the Wind.” She struggled with the changing role of women and the liberation of African Americans but also suffered from lifelong bouts of depression, until a tragic accident lead to her death in 1949. This film examines the amazing endurance of “Gone with the Wind” and reveals the seminal events of Mitchell’s life through dramatic re-enactments based on her letters, as scenes from the movie weave together her life and her work.

American Masters “Harper Lee: Hey Boo!” at 9 pm
Reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” has been a national pastime for five decades — it is still selling nearly a million copies a year, its classic popularity and power are a common reference. And the courtroom image of Gregory Peck, as the passionate Atticus Finch, gave us an enduring picture for the novel’s message. Behind it all was a young Southern girl named Nelle Harper Lee, who once said she wanted to be Alabama’s Jane Austen. This program explores her life and unravels its mysteries, particularly why she never published again. Illuminated with family photos, revealing personal letters and an exclusive interview with her sister, Alice Finch Lee (100 years old), the film is steeped in the texture of the novel’s Deep South and the social changes it inspired. Tom Brokaw, Rosanne Cash, Anna Quindlen, Scott Turow, Oprah Winfrey and Andrew Young reflect on how “Mockingbird” shaped their lives.

Storied Life of Mildred Wirt Benson at 10:30 pm
Storied Life of Mildred Wirt Benson recounts the inspiring life story of author, reporter and adventurer Mildred Wirt Benson. Benson, who died in 2002 at the age of 96, is better known as Carolyn Keene, the ghostwriter of the first 23 Nancy Drew mysteries who was responsible for the developing the famous young character as an independent, bold and risk-taking female sleuth. Storied Life of Mildred Wirt Benson is an inspirational story for viewers of all ages, particularly for avid Nancy Drew fans. The program features contemporary video, archival films and photographs, interviews, and commentary by literary experts and family members who knew her best. The program provides an “insider’s view” on how serial children’s books of the 1920s through the 1950s were conceived, created and marketed.

KLRU Q presents a night of Sci-Fi on Tuesday, November 15th.

8:00 PM – On Story: The Austin Film Festival Presents  “Creating Fantastical Worlds”
The challenges of creating fantastical worlds and getting the audience to suspend their disbelief are discussed by the creative minds behind Star Trek, Transformers, El Mariachi, and The Watchmen. Featuring David Hayter, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof, and Robert Rodriguez. Film: Tadpoles by Miguel Alvarez.

8:30 PM – Pioneers of Television: “Science Fiction”
Storytellers Gene Roddenberry, Irwin Allen and Rod Serling created the storylines and characters behind the best-loved futuristic television of their time. But as Roddenberry’s “Star Trek” competed for ratings with Allen’s “Lost in Space,” each show’s creator aimed for a very different direction. This episode explores how Roddenberry and Serling (of “The Twilight Zone”) used the future as a stage for modern morality plays, and William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols and other science-fiction stars describe how they prepared to interact on-camera with a malevolent alien force … or, perhaps, a giant radish.

9:30 PM – Science Trek
This out-of-this-world program explores the intersection of science fiction and science fact. Combining clips from Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation with interviews with some of the leading scientists and researchers from around the country, the program is an entertaining guide to the astonishing scientific advances being made in laboratories and universities around the country. PBS and Star Trek icon LeVar Burton hosts.

10:30 PM – Four Days at Dragon*Con
Every Labor Day weekend, tens of thousands descend upon Atlanta for the largest convention of pop-culture fandom in the Southeast. From science fiction celebrities and their obsessive fans to colorfully costumed characters engaged in mock combat, FOUR DAYS AT DRAGON*CON explores the “Woodstock for nerds” known as Dragon*Con. What draws these 35,000 people together? Dragon*Con’s inclusive multi-genre, multi-platform approach – combining science fiction, fantasy literature, role-playing, science, history, video games and more – gives attendees the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. Others, especially the costume designers and creators, seem to gravitate most to the element of escapism. Featuring interviews with fans, staff, performers, artists, and would-be superheroes, the documentary examines the sense of community and acceptance that forms among this often ridiculed and marginalized subculture. FOUR DAYS AT DRAGON*CON captures the heart and soul of this quirky and fascinating annual event with footage of the Dragon*Con parade and a stirring climax centered around an ambitious attempt to break the world record for dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

The evening ends with a Dr. Who episode at 11:30 PM

The Inspiration Fund is an opportunity for donors to support comprehensive services at our station:  local productions, outreach and education activities including Ready To Learn, Community Screenings, Community Cinema and Spark! @ The Moody Theater.  Each of these elements frames KLRU as a trusted window to the world with universal access to educational and creative content in and beyond Austin.

KLRU is deeply grateful to the Still Water Foundation for its past support of our station.  Their continued investment in our mission will help bring pioneering programs, authentic engagement and meaningful acquisitions to Central Texans.  Thank you!

9-9:30 a.m.
Monday, July 12th & Friday, July 16th

SUPER WHY and the Beach Day Mystery takes our superheroes on a swashbuckling scavenger hunt, complete with clues, pirates and buried treasure.

X marks the spot! Whyatt and the other fairytale buddies have found a clue leading to treasure and they need a little help! So the superhero readers fly into The Beach Day Mystery where they set off on a swashbuckling scavenger hunt adventure filled with clues, pirates, and of course, treasure! Will Super Why and his friends be able to outsmart the trickiest pirate of them all?

Educational Objectives: To learn how to figure out clues. Kids will follow the alphabet, rhyme with AIL words, and use the power to read to change the story!

Summer is a time when children are at risk for losing gains in math learning if not offered educationally sustaining activities — and the risk is greater for losing math skills than reading skills.  The Summer Challenge will provide eight weeks of fun and free resources to strengthen kids’ involvement with math and problem solving all summer long.

Online:

• An all-new gaming component will reveal new challenges every week to keep kids actively engaged at home.
• Storytelling features will motivate kids to share their Summer Challenge experiences with others.
• The PBS KIDS GO! video player will feature Summer Challenge video clips and full episodes.
• Eight new printable activities for teachers, parents and kids will deliver fun, STEM-based challenges for real world application.
• Teachers and parents can also access free, downloadable video clips and episodes to support their Summer Challenge activities.
• Additional printable activities for kids will offer extra summer fun.

No School Singalong Special premiers June 21st at 8:30 a.m.!

SID THE SCIENCE KID celebrates the first day of summer with the all-new “No School Singalong Special” premiering June 21 on KLRU’s PBS KIDS.  The half hour episode features Sid and his friends performing their favorite science-song hits in a back yard singalong extravaganza!

Click here for additional air dates.

Join KLRU and United Way Capital Area for a special film screening and discussion on education issues in Austin on Thursday, January 28, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in KLRU’s Austin City Limits Studio 6A. RSVP here. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided.

Jason Sabo from United Ways of Texas will moderate a discussion on whether the Austin community is investing enough in education. Panelists will include:

The discussion will take place immedately after a screening of It All Adds Up. This documentary, produced by Academy Award-winning director Sue Marx, focuses on the academic enrichment and mentoring program called Math Corps. The film features engaging and heart-warming interviews with alumni and current campers who testify to the life-changing impact of this project. RSVP here.