FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2012

DALLAS/FORT WORTH – KERA, the public broadcasting station of North Texas, is proud to announce the Lyda Hill Foundation has paved the way for the expansion of KERA’s regional news coverage with a generous lead gift of $1 million.

Last year, Ms. Hill funded news reporting, coverage and programs about health and science on KERA. That gift supported the weekly Health Checkup segment with Sam Baker, featuring local experts at area medical centers and universities. The donation also funded two KERA FM special series on cutting-edge research, Going Green: The Practical Payoffs and the award-winning Engineering Hope. Ms. Hill was impressed that these specific stories had not been covered by any other media outlets. The station’s unique brand of reporting was the driving force behind the foundation’s $1 million lead gift for the expansion of KERA’s news coverage. Hill stated “As a KERA viewer, listener and donor, I recognized the importance of funding such a vital community resource. This gift is also meant to inspire others to support the kind of local news stories and reporting not found anywhere else in North Texas.”

Regarding the expansion of KERA’s local news coverage, Mary Anne Alhadeff, KERA’s President and CEO, said “Our goal is to raise the level of discussion on important public issues that are inadequately covered in the media, engage citizens in civic matters affecting their lives, build connections across our region, and act as a leader and convener for collective impact.”

To further support KERA’s news expansion, Rick Holter joined the staff as Vice President for News. Holter comes to KERA from NPR, where he was Supervising Editor, Digital News, and before that, Supervising Senior Editor for Weekend All Things Considered and Day to Day. Previously, Holter spent 15 years at The Dallas Morning News with the majority of that time as Arts Editor. At KERA, Holter will supervise the radio, TV and digital news staff, the station’s arts journalism unit Art&Seek, the midday talk show Think and the weekly call-in program Anything You Ever Wanted to Know.

ABOUT KERA

KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization that serves the people of North Texas. The station broadcasts to the fourth-largest population area in the United States. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org. The station’s extensive coverage of the arts can be found at www.artandseek.org. KERA-TV broadcasts on Channel 13.1. KERA WORLD broadcasts on 13.2. KERA-FM broadcasts on 90.1 in Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, 88.3 in Wichita Falls, 100.1 in Tyler and 99.3 in Sherman. KXT 91.7 FM, KERA’s new music station, KXT 91.7, is streamed online at www.kxt.org.

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Lyda Hill

CONTACT:

Christopher Wagley

Director, Marketing & Communications

KERA, KXT and Art&Seek

cwagley@kera.org

214-740-9377