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Our Spring On-Air Fundraising Campaign is officially underway! Now is the time for you to pledge or renew your support. As a member of TPR, you give us the financial ability to continue our mission on the air and in the community. You can carry your generosity further by making your pledge on our website using our secure form. Your online gift helps us secure the $10,000 challenge grant from the John and Florence Newman Foundation. Click here to peruse this spring's collection of Thank You Gifts or learn about our various levels of support on our membership page.

Click here to make a pledge or select the "Join Now" button in the right-hand column. Help us continue our efforts to entertain, educate and enlighten every day. Thank you for your support!

McClain Circle Reunion, June 11 at the McNay

Explore the much-heralded Jane and Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions at the McNay as a McClain Circle member of Texas Public Radio.Texas Public Radio is holding it's Annual McClain Circle Reunion on June 11 in this architectual masterpiece, which creatively uses natural light to showcase the McNay's extensive collection. Mingle with other like-minded supporters of Texas Public Radio and enjoy the culinary delights of Fresh Horizons Catering. Invitations will be sent later this month. Not a McClain Circle Member? Become one for just $1 a day by selection "Join Now" on the right-hand column, or find out more about the McClain Circle here.

StoryCorps San Antonio

StoryCorps San Antonio, celebrates the lives of South Texans through the art of listening.  Today we meet Elizabeth Anderson and Ana Valadez, both retired nurses and professors emeriti.  They have known each other for over forty years.  Elizabeth and Ana came from different backgrounds, but share a passion for nursing.  In this segment, they remember a beloved professor, mentor, and boss, Lucy. Listen to their interview on our StoryCorps page.

Cinema Tuesdays Returns May 27

Another blockbuster movie season is right around the corner as Texas Public Radio kicks off its 2008 Cinema Tuesdays Series at the Bijou at Crossroads Theater with The Seven Samurai. Join us every Tuesday evening at 7:30, beginning May 27, for our eighth year of bringing classic, foreign, and independent films. Season passes for this year's lineup are now available for $100. Don't forget to sign up for the Cinema Tuesdays newsletter and podcast for DVD reviews, interviews, and more. Cinema Tuesdays is sponsored by Americus Diamond and Stevens Lighting. Turquoise Turkish Grill will also be offering a restaurant discount for Cinema Tuesdays attendees. Find the full Cinema Tuesday Series lineup and purchase your season pass on the Cinema Tuesdays page.

San Antonio Symphony on KPAC and KTXI

The 2007-2008 San Antonio Symphony classical series concludes in May, but you can relive some of the season courtesy of Texas Public Radio. KPAC 88.3 FM and KTXI 90.1 FM are broadcasting some of the best concerts of the series, beginning May 4. Tune in Sunday at 2 p.m. for some of the most memorable concerts the Symphony has to offer. Each broadcast features music from the San Antonio Symphony and commentary. The Symphony concert broadcasts are made possible by Penaloza & Sons Manufacturing Jeweler.

May Schedule of Broadcasts:

• May 11: Giancarlo Guerrero conducts Villa-Lobos, Duruflé, and Bizet.
• May 18: The premiere of San Antonio composer David Heuser’s Something Miraculous Burns leadsoff a program that includes Richard Strauss’ Don Juan and Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
• May 25: Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto is the highlight of a program that also includes John Adams’ The Chairman Dances and more, conducted by JoAnn Falletta.

Marketplace Looks at the Global Food Crisis

Fast and cheap. That’s how we expect our food. But global demand is expected to double by 2050. Scarcity affects every continent. Riots and protests over food prices ripple across much of Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Even in the United States, food prices have soared 40 percent in the past year. In a series from May 7 through May 10, Marketplace and Marketplace Morning Report look at how we got to this point and how the world is coping with the prospect of not enough food. Tune in to Marketplace, weekdays at 6:30 p.m. and the Marketplace Morning Report weekdays at 7:50 and 8:50 a.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM and KTXI 90.1 FM.

KSTX 89.1 Voted Best Radio Station, News by Current

The accolades continue for Texas Public Radio News. KSTX 89.1 FM was named "Best Radio Station, News" in the San Antonio Current latest Best Of issue. In addition, Texas Public Radio’s KSTX 89.1 FM and News Director David Martin Davies have won four top awards for excellence in broadcast journalism in the 2008 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards contest, including recognition for its comprehensive coverage regarding the dangers journalists face on the U.S./Mexico border. The Murrow awards are granted by the Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA). Read the press release here.

Travel with TPR: European Christmas Markets

Experience the holiday spirit with Texas Public Radio as we traverse Europe, visiting the Christmas Markets in Austria, Germany, France and Switzerland, December 7 through 15, 2008. Highlights of this holiday journey include shopping in charming European villages, and architectual tours of the panoramic Bavarian Alps and the fabled Black Forest region. Request a reservation package for the European Christmas Markets by calling (800) 622-8977, or review a day-by-day itinerary here.

Build San Antonio Green Podcast

What are the best practices for building green?  On the latest Build San Antonio Green podcast, a co-production of TPR and the Metropolitan Partnership for Energy (MPE), John Friesenhahn from Imagine Homes talks with MPE's Stephen Colley and TPR's Dan Skinner.  Green building practices at Imagine Homes, industry trends and advice for existing home owners on improving energy efficiency are discussed.

DVD Review: No Country for Old Men

Last year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men, also picked up awards for Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director.  It’s now available on DVD.  Texas Public Radio’s Nathan Cone says that while this film may seem at first glance a departure for the Coen Brothers, it actually fits right in with their body of work. You can read his review of the DVD here.

A Message Regarding the Extension of the Visitor Tax

Early voting is currently underway for the extension of the visitor tax. Find out information regarding this extension and read a message from TPR's general manager regarding the tax proposals.

Texas Public Radio Teaching Tools

Texas Public Radio Upgrades Studios

TPR is in the process of upgrading its technology to serve you better.  The project began in July 2007 and will continue through 2008.  The first phase has been completed, giving TPR four upgraded digitally equipped on-air and production studios. In 2008, TPR will add a another new digital production studio to the facility. Work also continues on an upgraded computer system that will give us more control and capacity to provide better service to our listeners.  Local and federal grants have provided $200,000 toward the project, but roughly $25,000 more is needed to complete the effort.  Visit our Technology Upgrade Project page to read more about the project, follow our progress through a series of photos and to learn how you can help.