Daily news show serves as platform for connecting stories of Texas
AUSTIN, Texas – Sept. 9, 2015 – “Texas Standard,” the national daily news show of Texas, has hit the six-month milestone of connecting Texans to stories around the state through expansive coverage of politics, the environment, lifestyle, culture, technology and business — from a distinctly Texas perspective.
“Texas Standard” made its debut on public radio stations across the state in March. The program is currently heard on 22 public radio stations whose combined coverage area includes nearly 17 million Texans. KNCH 90.1, San Angelo, and KTRL 90.5, in Stephenville plan to add “Texas Standard” to their schedules in the coming weeks. It’s the first daily public radio news program dedicated to covering stories that matter to Texans.
Hosted by David Brown and produced by a team of producers in Austin and reporters from partner stations in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, the one-hour show serves as a platform to connect stories from communities across the state, similar to the way NPR’s “Morning Edition” serves as a platform to connect stories around the country and globe.
“We launched ‘Texas Standard’ with the intent of telling great human stories and featuring new voices and ideas in a manner that both reflect the storyteller and the audience,” said Emily Donahue, executive producer of “Texas Standard.”
Part of the show’s success can be attributed to a strong spirit of collaboration among the four partner stations: KUT Austin, KERA North Texas, Houston Public Media and San Antonio’s Texas Public Radio. “Texas Standard” enables reports from partner stations to reach a statewide audience – beyond their local listening area – and have a bigger impact.
“San Antonio is at the center of an increasingly influential region, with many important stories that reverberate well beyond our community. ‘Texas Standard’ gives Texas Public Radio the opportunity to share those stories with the rest of the state,” said Shelley Kofler, Texas Public Radio news director. “Likewise, our listeners tell us they value hearing reports and the unique perspectives from other parts of this big, diverse state – the news with a Texas perspective.”
In addition to collaborating with four of the state’s largest public radio newsrooms, “Texas Standard” works closely with Marfa Public Radio and print media outlets, including “The Austin American-Statesman,” “The El Paso Times,” “The Dallas Morning News,” “The Houston Chronicle,” “The McAllen Monitor” and “The Texas Tribune.”
Some of the most popular political, business, cultural and lifestyle stories “Texas Standard” reported in its first six months include:
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: There’s a War on Cops and the Media ‘Are Not in the Police Officers’ Corner’
- The Nation’s First Transgender Judge Hails from Texas
- Alabama Chief Justice to Speak on Same-Sex Marriage
- Texas Leads the Push Against Obama’s Immigration Action, featuring an interview with Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Eight Million Dollars’ Worth of Illegal Chinese Honey Has Been Seized
- Warning: Wildflower Picture Season is Also Snake Season
Texas Standard Milestones:
- TexasStandard.org reached 1 million unique visitors for the month of July, due, in part, to the story “10 things about the Sandra Bland traffic stop every Texan should know”
- “Texas Standard” will soon add a statewide top-of-the-hour newscast, thanks to a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Learn more.
- “Texas Standard” enjoys statewide support from high profile sponsors, including Texas Mutual Insurance Company, Texas Christian University, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. Sponsors have been attracted to the show because it attracts an educated audience, many of whom are thought-leaders in their communities.
About “Texas Standard”
“Texas Standard” offers crisp, expansive coverage of politics, lifestyle and culture, the environment, technology and innovation, and business and the economy — from a distinctly Texas perspective. Hosted by award-winning journalist David Brown, the hour-long daily news magazine is grounded in fact-based, independent and politically neutral reporting.
“Texas Standard” is a project of KUT Austin, KERA North Texas, Houston Public Media, and San Antonio’s Texas Public Radio, as well as news organizations throughout Texas. It’s heard on 22 public radio stations across Texas.
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Contact: Erin Geisler, (512) 475-8071
