Austin PBS Offers Creators $70K Grant and Premieres New Shows for 2025-2026

Austin's vibrant creative community is renowned for its storytelling prowess, and Austin PBS is dedicated to discovering and elevating these talented individuals. During the third annual Made in Austin event, the station responsible for the iconic Austin City Limits revealed a new grant program alongside an impressive lineup of shows for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.

Austin PBS, recognized as KLRU-TV, has initiated the Digital Originals Grant Program, providing two local creators with $35,000 each. This funding aims to support the production of nonfiction web series that showcase the vibrant culture and diverse communities of Central Texas. Applications are currently open, and the announcement of winners is scheduled for August 2025.

Austin PBS president and CEO Luis Patiño stated, “By investing in diverse voices and original storytelling, we’re helping shape the future of public media right here at home.”

Visitors at the station's newly established headquarters delved into six decades of PBS archives, featuring half a century of Austin City Limits, recognized as the longest-running music series in American television history.

Austin PBS also unveiled several new programs debuting in 2025-2026, including:

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• Austin InSight, a weekly news and features show
  
  
• High School Quiz Show: Austin, premiering in 2026
  
  
• Carl the Collector, a national children’s series about an autistic raccoon
  
  
• Texas Monthly Presents: The Story, offering behind-the-scenes looks at Texas Monthly’s journalists
  
  
• City of Songs, an immersive travel and music series
  
  
• How Are We Today?, focusing on mental health and wellbeing
  
  
• Cradled by Grace, following musicians creating a trumpet concerto for the Austin Symphony
  
  

Returning favorites include Decibel, Austin City Limits, Overheard with Evan Smith, Central Texas Gardener, and City of Songs.

Viewers can tune in via KLRU-TV, AustinPBS.org, and the Austin PBS app. More details are available at austinpbs.org.

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