Vme (pronounced veh-meh) is designed for U.S. Latinos seeking greater variety in Spanish-language programs. Its name is taken from the Spanish word veme, which means “see me.” Its programs promise to entertain, educate and inspire families in Spanish with a contemporary mix of original productions, exclusive premieres and popular public television programs. The Vme schedule is available online at klru.org/schedule

“We’re excited to offer this new channel to the Austin area,” said Bill Stotesbery, KLRU CEO and General Manager. “The Vme service helps us provide a true alternative to the Spanish language commercial networks that is reflective of the KLRU mission to educate, entertain and inspire Central Texas.”

Over-the-air viewers (those viewers who do not have cable or satellite service) who wish to access the Vme channel should re-scan their DTV sets or converter boxes in order to receive this and other new digital channels. KLRU is working with local cable providers to add the channel to their lineups. Please see klru.org for updates.

Vme joins KLRU’s other broadcast channels. KLRU on 18.1 features PBS and local programming. KLRU Create on 18.2 focuses on “do-it-yourself” programs on cooking, travel, arts and crafts, gardening, home improvement and other lifestyle interests. KLRU-Q on 18.3 featuring entertaining and inspiring shows about history, music, science, nature, food and more. Q, which airs on 18-3, is structured in ‘blocks’ of programming throughout the day, with genres chosen specifically for the Austin audience. These channels are also available to Grande and Time Warner digital cable subscribers.

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence, community engagement and lifelong learning. 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 the documentaries CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. The station also produces local shows including OVERHEARD WITH EVAN SMITH, CENTRAL TEXAS GARDENER and ARTS IN CONTEXT. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

SERIES PREMIERES SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2011 AT 7:30PM ON KLRU-Q

AUSTIN, TX (April 12, 2011) – The Austin Film Festival and KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, announced today the new 12-episode series “On Story: Presented by Austin Film Festival” will premiere on Saturday, April 16, 2011, on KLRU Q (18.3).

The new half-hour series will focus on the inspiration and creative process at the conception of the filmmaking process and air right after Roger Ebert presents At the Movies and just before the station’s new movie package at 8pm. “On Story” will include new interviews and footage from past Austin Film Festival panels and screenings of screenwriters and filmmakers discussing their craft and films. Each episode will pair these conversations with a short film from a Texas filmmaker, which has previously screened at the Austin Film Festival. “On Story” is produced by Austin Film Festival co-Founder and Executive Director Barbara Morgan.

“The Austin Film Festival is quite proud of the new series, and we’re so happy to be working with KLRU on it,” says Barbara Morgan. “We’ve been working on concept for a while and are thrilled to finally be able to give local audiences a taste of the Festival.”

The filmmakers and screenwriters appearing on the show include Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back), Shane Black (Lethal Weapon), Ed Burns (The Brothers McMullen), Randall Wallace (Braveheart), John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side), David Peoples (Blade Runner), Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), Ron Howard, and more.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE
April 16, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 1
(footage from Lawrence Kasdan, Shane Black, and Randall Wallace at Austin Film Festival, short film: Frente Noreste by Angela Torres Camarena)

April 23, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 2
April 30, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 3
May 7, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 4
May 14, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 5
May 21, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 6
May 28, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 7
June 4, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 8
June 11, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 9
June 18, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 10
June 25, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 11
July 2, 2011 at 7:30pm: Episode 12

The show airs on KLRU-Q broadcast channel 18.3, which is available free over the air in KLRU’s 18 county viewing area including Travis, Hayes, Bastrop, Williamson and Caldwell counties. KLRU-Q is also available to digital cable subscribers of Time Warner (channel 20 or 255) or Grande (channel 284).

Episodes will also be available online at klru.org shortly following the broadcast.

For more information on the Austin Film Festival, visit austinfilmfestival.com. And, go to klru.org to find out more about the station and for programming schedules.

About Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art and craft of filmmaking by inspiring and championing the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story. The Austin Film Festival is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. Special support is provided to the Austin Film Festival by Continental Airlines, KVUE, KUT 90.5, and Dos Equis.

About KLRU
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence, community engagement and lifelong learning. 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 the documentaries CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org

Photo, from left to right: Maury Sullivan, KLRU’s VP of Community Engagement; Bill Stotesbery, KLRU’s CEO and President; Carl E. Erhart, Verizon’s President [Southwest Region]; Helen Soto Knaggs, Verizon’s Director of External Affairs

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, Announces $15,000 Grant from Verizon Foundation

Grant to support PBS Raising Readers, a project to help teach literacy using public media in our schools

KLRU announced today that it has received a $15,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation in support of local implementation of the PBS Kids Raising Readers program, a national partnership with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that surrounds children ages 2 to 8 with research-based literacy content.   Funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, from 2005 to 2010 Raising Readers developed an innovative blend of media across all platforms – TV, online, mobile, and more – and related community engagement activities designed to help young children learn to read.

“KLRU is first and foremost, an educational organization,” said Bill Stotesbery, CEO and GM of KLRU. “Through the generosity of the Verizon Foundation and other foundations we are able to help bridge the gap for young children entering school, using PBS’ award-winning programs such as Super Why and Between the Lions.”

Raising Readers helps empower parents and caregivers to create language–rich environments by teaching strategies that build early literacy skills anytime, anywhere – strategies that incorporate PBS children’s media.  In Central Texas, KLRU’s workshops assist low-income families with children between the from birth to eight-years-old, some of whom have English as a second language at home.  In the 2010-11 school year, the program is partnering with educational nonprofits and Austin-area schools to serve thousands of parents, caregivers and children through workshops and events.

“Providing educational resources to help students develop a strong foundation for success in the classroom is a key priority for the Verizon Foundation,” said Carl E. Erhart, Central Region President for Verizon Communications.  “We are proud to support initiatives such as KLRU’s Raising Readers and the effort to help Austin-area school districts develop young minds.’’

About KLRU:

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence, community engagement and lifelong learning. 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 the documentaries CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

About The Verizon Foundation:

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ),

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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“This is a newly created position that results from Austin City Limits
increased growth over the last few years,” said Bill Stotesbery, CEO and
GM of KLRU. “Tom’s strong entrepreneurial and management experience in
the music business and his connection to Austin make him an ideal
candidate to help take Austin City Limits to the next stage.”

Most recently, Gimbel founded and ran Clatterhead, a social media
advertising and marketing company, and was founder and president of High
Wire Management, an independent management, label services, and music
distribution company with a roster of more than 20 client artists.  He
has represented musician and artist Daniel Johnston for nearly 20 years
and recently has worked with Seattle-based Motopony.

“I’m very excited to be stepping into the newly created role as General
Manager of Austin City Limits,” said Gimbel. “When I first came to
Austin nearly 24 years ago, I was an aspiring musician who wanted to be
a part of the creative community and the spirit that was embodied every
week on Austin City Limits.  It wasn’t long after I came to town that I
realized that my talents were far better suited for the industry than
for the stage.  My music industry career path led me away from Austin
for over 10 years. While I truly enjoyed my time in the New York area as
an executive at Arista Records it was great to be able to come home to
Austin when I founded High Wire Music in 2005.”

While at Arista Records, Gimbel supervised successful sales and
marketing campaigns for Carlos Santana, Whitney Houston, Outkast, and
Sarah McLachlan generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue
and multiple Grammy Awards. Additionally, he has developed several
NARM Award winning campaigns for new product development in
music retail stores.

Gimbel will oversee business development, production and digital
strategies for Austin City Limits.

“I think Austin City Limits is uniquely positioned as an established
brand that represents the highest quality of the broadcast, recorded,
and live music experience.  I look forward to guiding this iconic brand
to new and exciting heights in the future,” said Gimbel.

About AUSTIN CITY LIMITS:
Accomplishing what no other show has done in the history of American
television, the series has, for more than three decades, presented
audiences with the most diverse, original, cutting-edge talent music has
to offer. ACL airs nationally on 97% of the country’s PBS stations.  In
addition to being broadcast on PBS, select AUSTIN CITY LIMITS episodes
are available to view online and on DVDs. More information can be found
at austincitylimits.org. After 36 years taping shows in the historic
KLRU Studio 6A, in 2011, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS moves to the new ACL Live at
the Moody Theater in downtown Austin.  Produced by KLRU-TV, funding for
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS is provided in part by AMD, Budweiser, the Austin
Convention Center Department and its newest supporter, Dell.  Additional
funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits.

About KLRU
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas
through creative excellence, community engagement and lifelong learning.
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 the
documentaries CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

CELEBRATION INCLUDES PUBLIC CONCERT BY STEVE MILLER BAND
MILLER’S PERFORMANCE WILL BE FIRST ACL TAPING AT THE MOODY THEATER

TAPING WILL BE PRECEDED BY 2ND ST. SOUNDCHECK – A FREE STREET PARTY & MUSIC EVENT PRESENTED BY BUSINESSES OF THE 2ND STREET DISTRICT

Austin, TX – KLRU and The 2nd Street District invite the public to come downtown for 2ND ST. SOUNDCHECK — a special free party with music, events and more, sponsored by the businesses of The 2nd Street District.  The 2ND ST. SOUNDCHECK will celebrate AUSTIN CITY LIMITS’ new home at The Moody Theater and will take place throughout The 2nd Street District on Saturday, February 26 from 3 to 8 p.m.  The evening’s celebration is also sponsored in part by Cirrus Logic and The Moody Foundation.

The evening will culminate with the first AUSTIN CITY LIMITS taping in The Moody Theater featuring a 90-minute performance by Steve Miller Band including new material from his soon-to-be-released new Blues Rock album entitled “Let Your Hair Down.”

“KLRU and AUSTIN CITY LIMITS are grateful to Cirrus Logic for stepping forward to support this public welcoming of AUSTIN CITY LIMITS to its new downtown home,” said Austin City Limits Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “It’s been a dream to be able to give AUSTIN CITY LIMITS its own place in the skyline.”

“Cirrus Logic is proud to present Austin City Limits’ premier celebration at the new Moody Theater,” said Jason Rhode, Cirrus Logic president and CEO. “We look forward to becoming one of ACL’s neighbors when our new headquarters is completed in the summer of 2012, placing the company in the heart of downtown’s vibrant live music, restaurant and retail scene. We are pleased to continue our support of KLRU and ACL and its great gift of incredible music performances.”

“The businesses of The 2nd Street District are thrilled to welcome AUSTIN CITY LIMITS to what can now, surely be deemed the coolest neighborhood in town,” said Julie Sutton-McGurk, Retail Marketing Manager for The 2nd Street District. “And we will do so in quintessential Austin style – by throwing 2ND ST. SOUNDCHECK, a street party filled with live music, great food, and of course, what truly makes this city the special place that it is, the people that call Austin ‘home.’”

The new Moody Theater includes a state-of-the-art digital production system, supported in part by a $2.5 million matching grant from The Moody Foundation, one of the nation’s largest private foundations.  Developed by Stratus Properties, the new home of AUSTIN CITY LIMITS will enable more fans to watch future live tapings of the show and provide an enhanced experience while maintaining the intimacy, character and integrity that have been the hallmark of AUSTIN CITY LIMITS for more than three decades.

KLRU is currently engaged in a capital campaign to raise the funds needed to complete the equipment acquisition and installation.

“Thanks to the vision of Stratus Properties and the generosity of The Moody Foundation and other major donors, we are proud to be part of the energy and vibrancy of The 2nd Street District,” said KLRU CEO Bill Stotesbery.

On Saturday, February 26, 2nd Street will be closed all day to allow for street entertainers and special performances by Matt Wilson, Dale Watson & His Lone Stars and Rick Trevino.  Retailers and restaurants will be open and programming special activities as part of the event.  Immediately following the 2ND ST. SOUNDCHECK, doors will open for the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS taping in the new state-of-the-art venue.

Lauded rock guitarist Steve Miller and his band have been inspiring fans for more than four decades with Miller’s unique brand of rousing American rock ‘n’ roll. His catalog includes 17 studio albums and multiple hit singles including “The Joker,” “Take The Money and Run,” “Jet Airliner,” “Abracadabra” and more.  This will be Steve Miller’s first performance on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.

For more information on how to get a ticket to the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS taping go to austincitylimits.org. Tickets are limited and you must have a ticket to be able to attend the taping.

For more information or a schedule of events for 2ND ST. SOUNDCHECK and additional opportunities to get tickets to the first AUSTIN CITY LIMITS taping go to 2ndstreetdistrict.com

About AUSTIN CITY LIMITS:
Accomplishing what no other show has done in the history of American television, the series has, for more than three decades, presented audiences with the most diverse, original, cutting-edge talent music has to offer. ACL airs nationally on 97% of the country’s PBS stations.  In addition to being broadcast on PBS, select AUSTIN CITY LIMITS episodes are available to view online and on DVDs. More information can be found at austincitylimits.org. After 36 years taping shows in the historic KLRU Studio 6A, in 2011, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS moves to the new ACL Live at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin.  Produced by KLRU-TV, funding for AUSTIN CITY LIMITS is provided in part by AMD, Budweiser, the Austin Convention Center Department and its newest supporter, Dell.  Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits.

About KLRU
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence, community engagement and lifelong learning. 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 the documentaries CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

About Cirrus Logic Inc.:
Cirrus Logic develops high-precision, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for a broad range of innovative customers. Building on its diverse analog and signal-processing patent portfolio, Cirrus Logic delivers highly optimized products for a variety of audio and energy-related applications. The company operates from headquarters in Austin, Texas, with offices in Tucson, Ariz., Europe, Japan and Asia.

About 2nd Street District:
In the center of downtown and at the heart of what makes Austin unique are more than 50 (primarily locally owned) specialty shops, services, and dining destinations. Austin’s authentic city neighborhood of youthful exuberance and true Texas spirit prides itself on being a first-class retail district with a heightened focus on the customer experience.  Known for its neighborhood events, The 2nd Street District celebrates Austin, its residents, and visitors of the Capital City in style which is why so many of “those in the know” think of 2ND, first!

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EVENT CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF MOODY THEATER & UNVEILING OF NEW STAGE & BACKDROP FOR ICONIC AUSTIN CITY LIMITS TV SERIES

STEVE MILLER BAND HEADLINES EVENING

Austin, TX — KLRU invites Austin to a world-class celebration on Thursday, February 24, 2011 for the grand opening of the Moody Theater’s AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Stage. City leaders, cultural icons, community philanthropists, business executives and music fans, will join together as the legendary KLRU-produced, PBS series moves to a new state-of-the-art venue.

Opening Night ushers the legendary show to its new stage with a special performance by Steve Miller Band and the unveiling of a newly created Austin city skyline backdrop.

Lauded rock guitarist Steve Miller and his band have been inspiring fans for more than four decades with Miller’s unique brand of rousing American rock ‘n’ roll. His catalog includes 17 studio albums and multiple hit singles including “The Joker,” “Take The Money and Run,” “Jet Airliner,” “Abracadabra” and more.

The new stage backdrop is a much-anticipated modernized rendition of the television series’ previous backdrop which brought the Austin skyline into viewers’ homes since its adoption in 1981. According to series Executive Producer Terry Lickona, the new backdrop represents Austin’s current skyline while still highlighting the celebrated University of Texas tower and Texas State Capitol that have always been integral to the show’s look. It was designed and constructed by a host of Austin-based craftsmen: artist Ellen Lampl, Custom Creation, set painter Tim Dingle, and Olden Lighting, alongside series production company LickonaVision.

The evening will kickoff with a performance by Austin’s own Carolyn Wonderland, representing the new generation of Texas blues-rock guitar slingers. Wonderland made her national television debut on the show in 2008.

Accomplishing what no other show has done in the history of American television, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS has presented audiences with the most diverse, original, cutting-edge talent music has to offer. The series will take this same spirit of creativity into the new venue giving more of Austin a seat to the next stage of legendary performances.

The Moody Theater is a state-of-the-art live music venue.   Developed by Stratus Properties, the new home of AUSTIN CITY LIMITS will enable more fans to watch future live tapings and provide an enhanced experience while maintaining the intimacy, character and integrity that have been the hallmark of AUSTIN CITY LIMITS for more than three decades. In addition to ACL tapings, it will host 60-100 concerts a year as ACL Live at The Moody Theater.  Nestled next to the W Austin Hotel & Residences™, it is the premier destination in Austin for live performances as well as private events and only one of two dedicated live music venues in the country built to USGBC LEED rated standards.

In 2009, the Moody Foundation of Galveston, Texas gave KLRU a $2.5 million contribution to help equip the new state of the art AUSTIN CITY LIMITS production facility.

Two levels of tickets are still available to this special night:

Dinner-By-The-Bite + Performance Tickets – $500 per ticket
Arrive early and enjoy cocktails and amazing cuisine provided by W Austin on the Gallery of the Mezzanine Level. Take your reserved seat on the Mezzanine Level for the show after the reception.

Performance Tickets – $150 per ticket
Performance tickets include Balcony Level reserved seats to the show

Following the performance, the entire theater will open up for the Encore Reception with sweet & savory snacks and your chance to tour every seat in the house.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.klru.org/openingnight.

KLRU’s Opening Night committee is chaired by Berry Crowley.  Honorary Chairs are Bobbi and Mort Topfer.  Committee includes Linda Benge, Laura Beuerlein. Susie Dudley, Mary Margaret Farabee, Jordan Herman, Mary Herman, Cindy Hill, W Austin, Carrie Holt, AMLI, Jenny Miller, Ross Moody, Elizabeth Nash, Claire Pinkerton,  Laurie Swan, Stratus Properties,  Dwight Thompson, Trisa Thompson, Tomi Winstead, Sandy Youman.
KLRU’s Opening Night is made possible by the generous support of our lead sponsors: The Moody Foundation, W Austin, and Stratus Properties.
About KLRU:
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence, community engagement and lifelong learning. 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 the documentaries Tattooed Under Fire and Citizen Architect. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.