A Note From CEO & General Manager Bill Stotesbery

Dear Neighbors,

During this uncertain time, I want to assure you — our dedicated members and viewers — that Austin PBS remains committed to serving you and all Central Texans. Because the safety of our staff and the greater Austin community is our top priority, our mission to provide essential services and exceptional community-centered programming takes on new significance. With the shelter in place guidelines announced this week, it is clear that the important work you have come to expect from your PBS station is more critical than ever.

Our main priorities during this time are to continue:

Serving as a free educational resource for families and teachers. Our education services team has gathered a list of enriching content and activities to support parents and educators and keep the learning going while children are home from school. We’re updating this list as new tools become available to ensure you have the most up-to-date resources to help your family. You can take a look here and please share it with anyone you know who has children at home.

Bringing you trusted national and local news on COVID-19 that is informational — not inflammatory. This piece from It’s Okay To Be Smart by Austin’s own Joe Hanson that helps explain the pandemic is one great example. PBS NewsHour provides a dependable source of up-to-date news and analysis each night. And Austin PBS’s Decibel is covering the impact on public health and safety in Central Texas while also amplifying the work being done in our community by nonprofits and civic institutions tackling these issues head-on. We launched our new Decibel website at this critical time to provide you the latest information on COVID-19 in Central Texas.

Providing safe, educational entertainment for the whole family. We know you rely on Austin PBS year round to provide quality programs like Nature, Masterpiece and Antiques Roadshow, as well as locally-produced shows like The Daytripper, Central Texas Gardener and Overheard with Evan Smith. As we face big changes in our daily lives right now, we understand the need to step away from the news for an hour or two and just enjoy the comfort of entertainment. Many of our programs are available for streaming on the free PBS app. We encourage you to download the app so that your favorite PBS shows will be available to you anytime.

Our community is strong, and we will get through this together. Here at Austin PBS, we firmly believe that it is paramount to support each other during this challenging time. I know you believe this too.

The essential services we’re able to provide depend fully on community support. And our ability to take even greater action to fulfill our mission in new ways in the days ahead relies on YOU. Your gift will help keep these essential resources available to you and everyone in our community, especially those most in need right now.

Thank you for being a part of the Austin PBS community. We greatly appreciate your support and wish you, your family and loved ones, as well as all of our Central Texas neighbors, the best during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Bill Stotesbery
CEO & General Manager
Austin PBS