PBS Digital Studios and John D. Boswell, also known by his Youtube moniker MelodySheep, have done it again! This time beloved, fro sporting, painting pro Bob Ross gets the auto-tune treatment.
If happy little clouds and trees make you happy, we encourage you to support KCPT!
Watch Happy Little Clouds: Bob Ross Remixed on PBS. See more from PBS Digital Studios.
Your favorite PBS/KCPT programs and why?
My favorite programs are Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations, Sid the Science Kid and Check, Please! KC.
I enjoy Rare Visions because Randy and Mike always seem to find some very neat places to go as they travel about our country. They make exploring and discovering various places, people and things really interesting and exciting. It makes me curious to see what unique things they will find on their next adventure.
Sid the Science Kid is one of my favorites because it resonates with the young people in my family and those of my friends. It’s always fun to see them get captivated by the show and discuss the lessons they learn from doing so.
Check, Please! KC is my favorite, as I like to eat good food. It’s nice to hear and learn about restaurants I may not know about and want to try. Plus, it is produced locally and features Kansas City restaurants and Kansas City people.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with KCPT?
I enjoy being involved with KCPT because of its commitment to our community. Whether it is through educational programming for students in schools or providing books for children who may not be able to get them otherwise, it resonates with me. Our children need all of the support we can provide in order to be successful. KCPT provides necessary pieces of the puzzle to make that happen.
Quality programming is so critical today with all of what I would define as “junk or reality TV” that floods the airways. It provides not just the shows that come from PBS, but also local shows that reflect life in Kansas City – life across our community. It is somewhere to go when one wants to get away from the noise that permeates the regular airways at times… great shows, great concerts, great debates.
Why should people support KCPT?
KCPT is about touching and reaching people in ways that matter. KCPT does it like no other local entity can. Without KCPT where would we as a community be? That’s why people should support KCPT.
Your favorite PBS/KCPT programs and why?
The Local Show, it is produced here at the station and really showcases the individuals and companies that make Kansas City unique.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with KCPT?
The people, KCPT has the top volunteers and staff in town. These are dedicated and creative team members who have a real passion for this community.
Why should people support KCPT?
I feel there are three main reasons that you should support KCPT: (1) education, (2) enrichment and (3) early childhood development. For education, we provide many tools to help educators teach by utilizing media through our video services – Learn360 and PowerMediaPlus. For enrichment, KCPT provides an audience a wide array of cultural productions which wouldn’t otherwise have the viewership that is vital for their survival. Third and finally, KCPT is a safe place for your children to watch not just because we have family oriented content, but also your children will not be inundated with advertisements when they watch KCPT.
Give me a call anytime to learn more!
Hunter Wolbach,
Chairman of the KCPT Board of Directors
What is your favorite PBS or KCPT program and why?
I distinctly remember Robert MacNeil’s The Story of English in 1986. I was fascinated by it. I watched it as it aired, recorded it on a VCR, and watched it again. That series was a turning point in my interest in public television. I discovered that my eclectic interests in education and entertainment were met by the wide range of programming offered by PBS and KCPT. I love the serendipity of watching shows such as American Masters and Frontline, and learning about people, places, subjects and issues that are important to our world. From John Muir (the Sierra Club founder) to Jeff Bridges (the Dude), and from Money and March Madness to Facing Death, the programs are always of the highest quality, and they present, and often debate, many points of view. The locally-produced shows such as Ruckus and Kansas City Week in Review always prompt me to think and to laugh and to care about our wonderful metropolitan area.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with KCPT?
KCPT is in the center of everything that is changing in the ways that we communicate and learn. KCPT is one of the local institutions that has credibility. Along with the Kansas City Public Library, Mid-America Regional Council, and others, KCPT convenes our community to dig below the surface and to discuss, debate and determine who we are and who we want to be. I am honored to be a part of these changes and collaborations.
I really like the ways in which KCPT brings national programming to life locally. The annual KCPT Antique Appraisal Fair captures the same excitement and storytelling that we see on the PBS Antiques Roadshow. KCPT brings the researched-based Ready to Learn and Raising Readers programs from PBS KIDS into local schools and libraries to address literacy, one of the basic skills upon which we build education and democracy.
Why should people support KCPT?
As the current News Corporation scandal is unfolding, we have been reminded of the globalization, commercialization and/or politicizing of many media sources. While it is incredible that we have so many sources providing so much information, it is also exhausting to sort through all of it to find reliable sources and information. At the same time, the “new media” have limited financial budgets for news and programs that are focused on Kansas City metro. I believe that KCPT is addressing the increasing need for credibility in media, high quality services, and local production. I want KCPT to grow. KCPT deserves your and my support.
What is your favorite PBS or KCPT program and why?
Check, Please! is the program I enjoy the most. The show does a great job of highlighting local restaurants, covering not only the food and drink each restaurant serves, but also the price point, ambiance and service that
patrons can expect. In addition, the show’s host, Doug Frost, is a Master Sommelier. Doug does a great job of working in segments that simplify the sometimes complex world of wine.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with KCPT?
My experience with KCPT has been very rewarding due to the people involved with the organization. The staff, the Board of Directors and the Community Advisory Board are passionate about public television and the Kansas City community.
Why should people support KCPT?
There are numerous reasons to support KCPT, but a few of the most important reasons (in my mind) are as follows:
Over the last year we have had strategic discussions about how KCPT can remain a valuable asset to the community. To that end, we have identified five areas of focus – Children and their education; Health; Arts & Culture; Sustainability; and Entrepreneurship. Through multi-media coverage of these focus areas, KCPT will elevate the community’s understanding and keep the conversation going around these important
issues.
I am happy to report that we have received funding for three of these focus areas – what we refer to as “desks” – Education Desk, Healthcare Desk, and Life Sciences Desk. The content will be organized by KCPT staff along with external relationships with expert partners. The stories from these “desks” will show up on many different venues, including The Local Show, Week in Review, between program vignettes, the KCPT website, and social media.
The “desks” are not championing any specific cause or point of view. Instead, our team will work to ensure that the citizens of our region have a common vision and common language around these important and impactful subject matters. We sincerely thank these foundations for their financial support and helping us tell these stories.
• The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in support of the Education Desk.
• The Healthcare Foundation in support of the Healthcare Desk.
• The Hall Family Foundation in support of the Life Sciences Desk.
We remain very excited and optimistic about our role in the community. Your membership is key in helping KCPT continue our mission as a valuable asset in our region.
Click here to join me as a proud member of KCPT.
On Sunday, March 3rd, the Kansas City Service Jam presented two services that were designed in just forty-eight hours at the Google Fiber Space in Westport. The local event launched on Friday evening at Red Nova Labs before moving over to Google Fiber for Saturday and Sunday sessions.
The event focuses on collaboration and designing services related to a shared theme, which was simply presented as “Grow ^”, or as interpreted by the participants, “Grow Up”. The Kansas City Service Jam divided into two smaller groups to design prototypes of two entirely new services.
One KC team tackled the problem of financial acumen among children. They decided to focus on parents who are fiscally responsible and have the desire to facilitate a conversation about finances with their 6-10 year old children.
“We see a lot of solutions that ‘gamify’ or abstract the use of money, our mission was to get these children involved in real world finances.” said David Rondeau, one of the group’s team members.
The group created a prototype application that allows children to utilize their parent’s device in the grocery store aisles for comparison shopping. The app, called “Eenie-Meenie”, centers around the use of cartoon monsters to guide the children by using a barcode scanner to gather information on quantity and price, enabling them to understand the financial aspects of a purchase.
The other KC team prototyped a service related to personal growth, with a particular focus on the problem of procrastination. Team member Rachel Lin said of their project, “Using a co-creative process, we developed the concept of a fun game to help a user break a negative behavior pattern (procrastination) and then guide them through the process of finishing their task.”
Near the final hours of the event, team member Justin Ruggieri said, “It’s pretty amazing that by Sunday we created a viable service which we had no awareness for on Friday.”
The Kansas City Service Jam was one of over one-hundred locations in roughly forty-eight different countries to participate in the 48-hour Global Service Jam.
2013 Local Service Jam team photo
We are very pleased with all that we accomplished in partnership with Townsend Communications and KC Studio magazine. I want to thank Guy Townsend and his team for their wonderful work and support throughout this partnership. Starting this month, KCPT is returning to a simpler Member Guide. This guide will keep you informed of programming, events, member benefits, and will highlight local and national content.
Of course, KCPT remains focused on the arts with programs like Putting Down Roots, the story about the “tree” planted in the front lawn of the Nelson Atkins Museum; Celebration at the Station with the Kansas City Symphony; and Homecoming, The Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce DiDonato. We are also excited to roll out a new program, Art Tasting with Julian (Julian Zugazagoitia, CEO of the Nelson Atkins Museum) beginning early this year.
Please also watch The Local Show for arts’ coverage, including coverage of this year’s PerformARTS organizations.
With PerformARTS coverage, we are helping Kansas Citians connect with the local arts’ scene and, in turn, helping these organizations enjoy greater success. Last year’s PerformARTS organizations were thrilled with the publicity and significant increases in ticket sales. KCPT is proud to shine a light on these very worthy artists. We want to thank the John W. and Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust, Bank of America, Trustee; and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts, Commerce Bank Trustee in generous support of PerformARTS.
I hope you will stay connected to the arts through KCPT’s programming, concerts and events, website, and social media.
Click here to join me as a proud member of KCPT.
I recently returned from the PBS annual meeting and came away very proud of the programming coming this fall and beyond.
PBS will help to tell more stories specifically about women. The campaign, Women and Girls Lead, will encompass short stories, mini-series, broadcasts, and web content featuring extraordinary stories about women through several of PBS’ regular series – Independent Lens, Global Voices, and Frontline. For more information and a full list of programs, visit http://www.itvs.org/women-and-girls-lead.
One of these programs, Half the Sky, will air in October on Independent Lens as a multi-part feature telling the stories of oppressed women in other countries who have escaped, healed, and gone on to do great things. The program is based on the best-selling book by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. These stories are truly inspiring.
Several short stories will also be aired featuring amazing women right here in Kansas City. Peregrine Honig, a local artist; Monica Steiner, a breast cancer survivor who is raising money for breast cancer research through the organization “Ironteam;” Alice Piggee-Wallack, a pastor making a difference in an under-served Kansas City community; and Brionna Williams, a student-athlete who overcame a serious health problem to achieve her dream. Watch the schedule for these stories about groundbreaking Kansas City women.
MAKERS, is a documentary about national women figures and every day ground breakers. They are role models, front line activists, and first in their field. Just a few of the featured women – Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Ellen Degeneres, Dr. Susan Love (breast cancer pioneer), Maya Lin (artist and architect), and Gloria Steinem. This documentary will air in early 2013.
Beginning on Labor Day, another great new children’s show – Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. This is an animated children’s program from the Fred Rogers’ Company featuring the new generation of characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It’s certain to be a hit with the kids!
Paula Kerger recently came to Kansas City to speak through the Chamber’s “Insight Kansas City” speaker series. Jim Heeter, the Chamber’s CEO, said this about Paula and KCPT, “Kerger had the highest praise for our local PBS station, KCPT. KCPT is serving as a trusted and constructive center stage for the region.” It’s always nice to hear these great comments.
As a reminder, mark your calendars for Homecoming on July 20 – airing to a national audience. The Kansas City Symphony and hometown soprano, Joyce DiDonato, perform as part of PBS’ Summer Arts Festival at Kansas City’s wonderful Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
As always, thank you for watching!
Kliff Kuehl
KCPT held its Annual Board Meeting on Tuesday, October 9. CEO Kliff Kuehl and the KCPT Board took time out to recognize Foundations, corporate supporters, volunteers and community partners for all they have done for the station this past year. Those honored were Bank of America, Californos, Country Club Bank, JoAnna Dale, Tom Dowling, Peggy Drabbenstott, Francis Family Foundation, Kansas City Symphony, Labconco, John Mertz, and Carol Wall. Also honored was Hunter Wolbach, our outgoing Chairman; and board members who have completed their terms – Julie Edge, Chris Fernandez, Lafayette Ford, Lan Strickland, and Peter Yelorda. Annual Meeting slideshow
