KLRN Update: Our first Video Blog entry

Katrina and Jack recently produced our first Video Blog with highlights from recent projects and a glance ahead at a couple of events and programs coming soon!

Let us know what you think of our first entry and stay tuned for more!

And as always, you can get frequent news and programming tips from KLRN on Twitter and Facebook!

This is One Slick Guy

Tom Slick was born to wealth and could have lived out his days burning through it all without a care in the world. Instead though, he cared a lot. This San Antonio native cared enough about people that to help fight disease, he established the Southwest Biomedical Foundation to research cures. He established the Mind Science foundation to research the unknown complexities of the mind. He wrote a book on World Peace before he was 30.
Tom Slick hungered for knowledge from the four corners of the world, so he traveled that world in searches for the Abominable Snowman, for the Loch Ness Monster, and even Bigfoot.
While he never found those creatures, he did find his biggest passion: Modern Art. Now, a McNay Art Museum Exhibition at the Stieren Center celebrates the man through his private collection in Tom Slick: International Art Collector.
Host Jeff Coyle speaks with Dr. William Chiego, John C. Kerr and biographer Catherine Nixon Cooke as they tell surprising, revealing and downright amusing stories about one of South Texas’ most accomplished, most fascinating men. Tune in to KLRN Tonight at 8 for a preview of his collection, plus a peek at the twisted, yet hilarious Edward Gorey exhibit currently showing at the McNay.

The World is Your Classroom at KLRN

Yesterday, I spent the day with K-12 educators at the Schertz Cibolo Universal City School District guiding them through our online video streaming service, KLRN Connect. During our discussion regarding all the great programming featured on KLRN, I was pleased to share with them the other KLRN Channels such as V-Me. I enticed the Spanish teachers to use this programming in the immersive classrooms or with ESOL students. I also had a Home Ec teacher declare her love for Julia Child and so I showed her where she could find her programs on the Create Channel. I will tell you she cried with glee when I showed her the PBS Player at http://video.pbs.org! There was Julia, in all her mallet-yielding glory, taking on a whole chicken with such style and grace that is only Julia. Go enjoy all of KLRN and Bon Appetit!

Patchwork Nation Webb County Bloggers Announced

THE NEWSHOUR has forged a partnership with the Christian Science Monitor's Patchwork Nation project to offer a unique look at how these turbulent times are playing out in different types of communities across the country.

Patchwork Nation is a reporting project that explores economic trends in the United States by tracking different types of communities over time with the help of the Christian Science Monitor, local stations and citizen bloggers.

As part of this effort, the two media organizations are, as the project coordinator for The NewsHour writes, “reaching out to proven public affairs producers in communities we would like to track in the coming year.” KLRN is one of 13 public broadcasting member stations and Laredo is one of 13 new cities nationwide selected to participate in this project.

Blogging for Webb County will be IBC Bank President & CEO Dennis Nixon; along with Joey Horta, Morning/Noon Anchor for KGNS-TV in Laredo. Nixon and Horta will each post blogs approximately twice a month.

You can read Dennis Nixon’s first post about Judge Sotomayor’s nomination here.

Say Goodbye To An Old Friend

That still at left was nicknamed Old Blue, and is what we in the biz call an ID, short for an "identification." Originally broadcast on September 1st, 2004, Old Blue's function was to tell you what station you were watching, and its point of origin--San Antonio. But a closer look reveals the letters DT, which stands for digital television. KLRN was trying to put digital television on peoples' radar screens by way of their television screens way back in 2004, so that they'd be ready by the time analog's power was pulled and digital was powered up. Computer programs track the runnings of these things and I can report that this ID ran 68,619 times. Wow!

The digital transition happened at the stroke of midnight, June 12th, and we're hoping you've made the digital leap with us. If you're getting this e-mail, but not our signal, go here for help. Maybe we can get this figured out together. You can also call 270.9000 to speak to an actual human about it.

As to the NEW ID at right--as yet un-nicknamed--it's not bound to one look. We travel around town, the hill country, and points south and west, shooting video, then augmenting that video with what we call the co-brand: the KLRN and PBS logos side-by-side. The 9.1 San Antonio tells you you're watching our main channel, not 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4. You do know we broadcast four 24-hour channels, right? A quick look on our home page can show you complete schedules for all four channels at bottom left. You'd be amazed at all the great programs we offer.

Regarding those new IDs, we create 24 of these each month that feature our fair city and its environs from daybreak through dark. We hope you get a kick out of them, and that you are reminded how lucky you are to live in the area.

And as to Old Blue--he served us well and I can report that he's happily out to pasture, and enjoying watching the new IDs along with the rest of us.

Reading is the Name of the Game at Camp!

"Sky Losoya, a youngster at La Escuela de Las Americas who's involved in the Super WHY! Reading Camp, participates in literacy adventures and games. Super WHY! is a program created to help children learn the fundamentals of reading through interactive storybook adventures."

READING IS THE NAME OF THE GAME AT CAMP
By Nazish Dholakia - Express-News
“Bubbles!” rising first-grader Jose Zuñiga screamed as his teacher asked him to name a word that starts with the letter “B.”Zuñiga is among 16 students at La Escuela de Las Americas who are involved in the five-day Super WHY! Reading Camp.

The program, funded by the U.S. Education Department, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS, focuses on bridging the literacy gap among children from lower-income families. “I have seen a huge improvement in these children,” said Claudia Garcia, a teacher leading the reading program. “I never thought it would be possible for them to pick up so much in a short time.” Read entire article...

Great photo opportunity...

What a great treat for your child...a picture with his/her best TV friend! I found this link recently and think that it is such a wonderful way to bring a smile to your child's face. You can add Elmo, SuperWhy, Curious George or even Sid the Science Kid (just to name a few) to your favorite photo. The process is very easy and the end result is one for the scrapbooks. Just upload your photo, choose your character and voila, you are done! The best part? It is free! Enjoy.

P.S. This is not for kids only. If you've always wanted your own photo with Super Grover, please, help yourself.

Children and Adults learn as they PLAY...

Children play. Children learn as they play. Play alongside children and watch what you learn too! We have hosted 43 Play and Learn groups (for children birth to five years old) in San Antonio during the past 5 months and we have loved watching the families all grow. Sharing the messages that, "Any time is learning time," "The classroom just got bigger," and "You are the child's first and most important teacher," are statements of great power.

At the Play and Learns, families are having FUN as they are learning from each other and exchanging ideas. Children are given the opportunity to socialize with others, sharing materials, singing songs, and getting messy with art activities! Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, family members, friends, and neighbors are all joining in too!

When you were a child, what was your favorite past time? Who were your playmates? We look forward to having you attend our Play and Learns too. Join us as we go on "bear hunts," safaris, paint murals, build tiny towns, share story time, and go on marching parades! To learn more, call us at 270-9000!

The Gavel Blazes On...

While we’ve dimmed the lights on KLRN’s 43rd Annual Great TV Auction, the great deals are just beginning!

Visit BlazingGavels.com and search from nearly 200 items still available online… from art to automotive discounts, rafting to a round of golf. Many items are available for immediate purchase through the “BUY IT NOW” feature. All remaining items will close on Monday night, June 22. We’ll follow-up with winners on Tuesday, June 23 to discuss pick-up and pay.

We also hope you'll join us on Thursday, June 25 when we’ll fling open the doors to the KLRN studios for our annual AFTER AUCTION AUCTION. Arrive at 5:30 PM, where you’ll find many auction items offered at great prices! The first items close at 6 PM. KLRN is at 501 Broadway at the corner of McCullough.

And finally, take a peek behind the scenes and see just of few of the faces that kept us going during the 10 day marathon.

Blazing Gavels Auction Drama!

The Winning bidder on this year's Blazing Gavels Dash For Cash races between two fish tanks, one filled with nickels, dimes and quarters, and the other, he gets to take home. It's a simple monetary transaction: scoop from the one tank, and shovel into the other. And everything he grabbed and put in the 2nd tank for :45 was his to take home. The crowd counted him out for the last :10 and applauded wildly.

Heavy on drama, heavy on action, heavy on fun. But that's what KLRN's Blazing Gavels Auction is all about.

If that's just a little too wild for your taste, head over to the Blazing Gavels website for Auction action that's all controllable by you. You can plan a vacation by searching our Trips of the night. You can search for affordable jewelry for that special someone. Or you can even buy a 1950 Studebaker. Really! Check it out.

Why is this zebra on roller skates?

Tonight at 6 PM, KLRN kicks off our 43rd Annual Great TV Auction. And at this point, just about everyone in the building has or will contribute in some way!

Over the past few weeks, we've witnessed a flurry of activity in the studio... from installing and touching up the elaborate set to running phone/computer lines to preparing countless on-air videos/graphics.

On the second floor, a tireless team has been soliticing, accepting and organizing donations, ranging from the zebra on roller skates (pictured above) to some pretty nice wine packages.

On the third floor, a brand new auction web site was launched (http://www.blazinggavels.com/) and we already have over 100 bidders registered -- even before the auction actually begins! Debi has not only recruited over 1,000 voluteers but secured food donations from area restaurants to keep us all going.

We hope you'll tune-in or log-on over the next 10 days and be a part of the auction.

And as always, thanks for supporting KLRN.

DTV Installation Service

As the time for the analog TV shut-down approaches, there are two new FREE services available to help those who have not yet installed their DTV converters or the antenna they need to receive all the local DTV stations. These services have received federal grant funds to help out those who are still unconverted and who watch TV over-the-air. If you know someone who is experiencing difficulty with the DTV conversion, please let them know about these services.

STRAC (South Texas Resource and Assistance Center) received a grant from the FCC for both basic and expert installations.

* To set up an appointment, please call:
830-393-7888 or 1-866-999-3435
Hours 8a -8p M-F, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-6
* operators are bilingual (Spanish and English)
* offices are located throughout KLRN viewing area, including Laredo

INSTALLS, Inc. also received a grant from the FCC for both basic and expert installations.

* Viewers can set up an appointment through
1-800-582-4250 or https://dtvhelp.installs.com
Hours: 8am – 9pm, 7 days a week
* can assist viewers in both Spanish and English

DVR Watch: Great Performances: In The Heights- Chasing Broadway Dreams

Are you one of those who is always setting your DVR to record show to watch later? Or are you like many others who are watching more and more TV online?

Just last night, I caught up with Great Performances' "In The Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams." This is a moving tale of what it takes to bring a Tony Award Winning production from concept, all the way to opening night on Broadway. The production follows the compelling story of the producers and cast members as you learn about the physical and family sacrifices some of them make -- just to follow their dream.

Many of the musical numbers from the show are contrasted with the performer's own life story as a first generation immigrant, a Latina who is ashamed because she doesn't speak Spanish, and a young dad raising a son with autism.

Speaking of recording a show to watch later, you can catch an encore broadcast of "In The Height's: Chasing Broadway Dreams" on KLRN 9 (9.1) Tuesday morning (late Monday night), June 2 at 2:30 AM. You can also learn more about the show and see clips on the Great Performances web site.

[Trivia: The New Electric Company (airs on Fridays at 5PM) taps the creative minds behind "In the Heights" to bring their urban hip music style to literacy!]

Healthy Habits for Life - making an impact one family at a time!

KLRN recently received funding from the Baptist Health Foundation to implement and study the impact of the HEALTHY HABITS FOR LIFE curriculum, developed by Sesame Workshop to reach 200 children. The program is conducted in two separate phases. Each phase studying 100 youth, their families and caregivers.

The HEALTHY HABITS FOR LIFE project will teach children: 1) how to make healthy food choices, and 2) how to be physically active so that they can begin to establish healthy habits for the rest of their lives. The project also includes several other components which include training, modeling, strategizing and engaging the youth as they learn all techniques and practices for their well being.

As we are reaching our final post assessment phase, to show our appreciation for the time and amazing energy given to this study. We gave the children, parents and the caregivers a very Healthy dinner! A special guest flew in from New York to attend this dinner and meet the participants. None other than COOKIE MONSTER !!

We had a spectacular evening and I truly believe that we have made a difference, not only in the children... but the parents, siblings and the caregivers. We look forward to beginning Phase II and seeing where this study will lead us in the future.

Until then...remember to eat your colors!

Submitted by:
Marissa Tejeda Ximenes
Special Projects Manager, KLRN
Healthy Habits for Life

Learn more about KLRN educational resources at klrn.org.

Does anyone have "change"...

It is a nail-biting day for 14 local high school students. Tonight Fresh Cut 2009 will air (at 8pm) and the finalists will finally find out whether their film has been "crowned" as the Directors Cut winner or the Viewers Choice winner.

The word "change," which was the theme for this years contest, was taken all across the spectrum and these entries show how one simple word can be construed so differently. The finalists, their parents, their teachers and their schools should be extremely proud of this work.

Our hope is that this contest has opened the door or the mind of the students and helped them explore a possible future---as a hobby or as a profession.

Congratulations to all.