Meghan Stabler
Did anyone catch Out in America on KERA on Monday night? As we dutifully informed you, the major new documentary from PBS about the American LGBT experience, which has gotten rave reviews from advocates, aired in Dallas two days before it is scheduled to air on most PBS stations around the country — at 7 p.m. Central time on Wednesday. A KERA rep explained to Instant Tea that the station had a timeslot open Monday night to air the documentary as part of its pledge drive, but won’t be showing it again Wednesday, which is a live night. Out in America is scheduled to re-air at 3 a.m. Sunday on KERA. Depending on how many pledges it generates, Out in America could also re-air on KERA later in the month, the representative told us.
Meanwhile, down in Austin, controversy is brewing over Out In America. Meghan Stabler, a board member for the Human Rights Campaign who lives in Round Rock, reports that the PBS affiliate in the capital, KLRU, has no plans to air Out in America during Pride month:
A major documentary about the American LGBT experience (“OUT in America”) will premiere nationally this week. Unfortunately here in Austin, the most liberal of cities in Texas, maybe the only liberal city in Texas, the local PBS station, KLRU, is not scheduled to air it. …
After researching the monthly schedule for KLRU I noticed that while over 80 percent of the national PBS Stations are planning to run the documentary, KLRU has no plans,” Stabler writes. “The majority of airings will take place to coincide with Pride month, June. I contacted the programming department and received the following reply, “thanks … for inquiring about OUT in America. Currently our programming department said it’s not scheduled but they are considering it. Here’s a list of other programs this month to celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.” …
I talked further with the programming department of KLRU. There answer was that this is a “pledge drive” program and they will not be running it. They have recorded it for potential future use, but as this was a pledge program they would not be running it in the near term. I wasn’t satisfied and neither should you be.
So I then talked with Maria Rodriguez, Sr. VP – Broadcasting at KLRU-TV (Beyondmrodriguez@klru.org or 512-475-9029). She confirmed what I had been told earlier that “OUT in America” had been offered by PBS National as a documentary for use during pledge drives, and that due to a shorter than normal pledge drive in June, KLRU had decided not to air the program. She could not confirm a date or a month that the documentary would be aired but assured me that some time in the year it would be. I informed her that the content of this documentary was about the lives and personal stories as told by our voices vs. a historical narrative on topics like Stonewall. But she said they were airing Stonewall Uprising and two others for the GLBT community and that KLRU felt that was all that would be done.
Unfortunately a new documentary that does a beautiful job of capturing the richness and complexity of what it means to be LGBT at this particular moment in American history, and does so in an warm, humorous and genuine way, fails to get air time in Austin. That doesn’t cut it for me. “OUT in America” is a collection of our voices airing the struggle for equality in love, relationships, work and transition. The other programming, while offering a repeat documentary on the history of Stonewall and a new documentary called “Two Spirits” about the Navajo Indian traditions and the brutal slaying of Fred Martinez a Navaho “two-spirit” transgender youth, could still be bolstered by the scheduling of “Out in America.”
A petition has been launched at Change.org calling for Austin’s KLRU to air Out In America. If you’d like to encourage KERA to re-air the program in Dallas later this month, the station’s representative said to call 800-456-5372, mention Out in America, and make a contribution.
I hope to watch it tomorrow night. The joys of DVRs!
The dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. It’s a really good show which I highly recommend. I sent in my first donation today to PBS (KERA) for being brave enough to put this out there. Bravo.
Oh boo hoo. An Austin affiliate isn’t running Dallas’ LGBT stroke fest video. Get over it.
That it took them running a LGBT video for you to donate to them say’s plenty about your convictions Bill. I donate to KERA and NPR, not because they run programs that specifically speak to me but because they run varied programming that speaks to everyone. This attack attitude will (already is becoming) your groups Achilles heel. You don’t own language (I can say gay however I damn well please), you don’t own TV (NPR/KERA can run whatever it wants) all you do own is the ability to look like adults or petulant little children not getting their way. Unfortunately, as usual you are choosing to take the victimized poor us route. And as usual, no one cares.
I have to agree with Zedd’s statement. Whenever groups begin to take an “us versus them” stand, whoever they are trying to sway immediately adopts the opposite stand. Yes, the Austin station might not air the program. It’s possible they are looking at this from a financial point of view and decided that airing it might lose them some financial support during pledge week. Since I don’t know their reasoning, I can only enjoy in speculation.
Yes, I support NPR and KERA — and I’m a conservative. But, I enjoy their programming and will continue to do so…at least until they begin to cave in to outside pressure, regardless of which side the pressure comes from.
A pure act of discrimination.
Tow insensitive bigots, have crawled out of the woodwork.
It’s not showing at all on Georgia Public Broadcasting either. But, they are airing it a day late on the Atlanta station, PBA. I have a friend that lives in Virginia and she say’s it’s not airing in her market either. This really is sad that in 2011, PBS stations would refuse to air a documentary about gay people. It’s bigotry plain and simple!
Why is it the content, such as being gay more important than the quality of the documentary. Maybe they just feel the quality is not as good as the other two documentaries that you list. They sound more interesting to me, if I want to see shows about gay and lesbians there are plenty of shows on cable channels that are available. Why is this such a ground breaking documentary that has to be shown, Amber says these comments are from bigots who is worse the person who speaks there mind or someone who responds to name calling and labeling them as bigots.
Two of the comments listed here are beautiful illustrations as to why the GLBT community and it’s supporters need to “carpet bomb” with as as much positive media feedback as possible. Their sentiments are far too familiar. “Oh boo hoo the Blacks, Oh boo hoo the Jews, Oh boo hoo anyone who’s perceived as a legitimate target for narrow minds. As soon as you guys “get it”, and as soon as you recognize the inherent rights of EVERYONE, then boo hoo to you for everything that brushes your conservative fur the wrong way.
I work at KLRU-TV, Austin PBS and oversee community engagement. Thanks everyone for your feedback. The show has been added to the KLRU schedule for this Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m. You can find details here:
https://www.klru.org/blog/2011/06/klru-adds-out-in-america-to-612-schedule/
I am in the Austin area right now and watching it from my hotel room. Neat show – it helps show the every day folks like myself that our gay. Job well done. It’s a complete picture….