OREGON ART BEAT: Revisiting the Artists You Love

Revisit the artists you love on Oregon Art Beat, March 5 at 8pm! Tune in to the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting to celebrate 10 years of Art Beat on this live-hosted roundup of viewers' favorite stories along with a few surprises.

Art Beat combed through a decade's worth of stories on talented artists of every stripe who have been featured on the program. There will be updates on favorites -- like Eastern Oregon painter James Lavadour who was in the first show of the first season. Art Beat recently went back to Pendleton to revisit him and get his fascinating take on life as a working artist.

"Our stories are about people," said Art Beat host and station manager Jeff Douglas. "The art is the vehicle with which we learn about the people."

Get a dose of fire and color from some of your favorite glass artists, like the Oregon Coast's Pyromania.

And there will be plenty of music. Take another listen to -- and get another look at -- that bejeweled Monette trumpet. Enjoy the '20s and '30s retro sound of Midnight Serenaders. Feel the beat of Irish dancing. It's a special Oregon Art Beat celebration.

Video of the stories featured on Art Beat can be viewed online immediately following the broadcast.

About OREGON ART BEAT
Oregon Art Beat, Oregon Public Broadcasting's local arts series, is in its 10th season. The program airs Thursdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2am and 6pm. In the Mountain Time Zone of Eastern Oregon, the program airs at 9pm Thursdays and repeats at 7pm on Sundays. Funding for Oregon Art Beat is provided in part by James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and the Kinsman Foundation. More information is available online at the Art Beat Web site.

OPB Delays DTV Switch to June 12

Oregon Public Broadcasting plans to delay its switch to digital-only broadcasting until June 12, the extended deadline Congress approved in bills passed last week, and which President Obama is expected to sign shortly.

"The government is concerned that some people aren't ready to make the switch," said Steve Bass, president and CEO of OPB. "We decided to honor their request and delay until June 12. This decision comes at a cost. OPB will need to spend about $100,000 for unbudgeted utilities and other expenses. It may also have the effect of delaying the digital transition for some of our translator sites in rural Oregon."

OPB plans to continue its extensive efforts to help the community prepare for the end of analog broadcasting. For information on how to make the switch, visit opb.org/digital or call 1.800.241.8123.

New Episode of OREGON EXPERIENCE, "Road to Statehood," Airs February 16 on OPB TV

Oregon celebrates its 150th birthday this year. The next installment in the Oregon Experience series, "Road to Statehood," explores Oregon's bumpy path to becoming the 33rd state in the Union. Tune in to the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting on Monday, February 16 at 9pm.

For thousands of years, hundreds of native tribes thrived in what became known as Oregon Country -- a vast wilderness that stretched north into present-day British Columbia, south to California and east into Idaho, Montana and parts of Wyoming. By treaty, the land was jointly occupied by the British and the United States with both wanting to establish dominance in the area.

The first Euro-Americans in Oregon Country were mountain men and fur trappers who came in the early 1800s for the abundant pelts used to make popular beaver hats. The British Hudson's Bay Company soon followed, establishing its Northwest headquarters at Ft. Vancouver in 1825. Managed by a British citizen named John McLoughlin, Hudson’s Bay dominated the vast fur-trading network for 20 years -- using its own brigades and Native Americans to trap the furs. The company also acted as the only “government” in the region.

But along with commerce and trade came diseases like smallpox and malaria that killed hundreds of thousands of Native Americans and decimated complete tribes. Missionaries brought more changes and began luring more immigrants to settle the rich farming lands of the Willamette Valley.

This growing number of Americans had no legal representation in Oregon Country. If a legal issue arose, they were on their own. It was the death of a wealthy settler with no will that acted as a catalyst for the formation of a provisional government in Champoeg. On May 2, 1843, the settlers voted to align with the United States and create the first American government west of the Mississippi. By 1857 more than 50,000 people called Oregon home -- enough to petition for statehood. Finally on February 14, 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state in the Union.

Oregon Experience examines the stories of the native people already here, and the trappers, missionaries and other pioneers coming over the Oregon Trail who together shaped the state of Oregon.

Watch the complete program online anytime after February 16 at the Oregon Experience Web site.

About Oregon Experience
Oregon Experience is an exciting history series on OPB that brings to life fascinating stories that help us understand who we are and that reinforce our shared identity as Oregonians. The series, co-produced by the Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Public Broadcasting, takes advantage of the extensive film, video and stills from the archives of OHS and OPB, and draws upon the expertise of OHS researchers and historians. Each show features captivating characters -- both familiar and forgotten -- who have played key roles in building our state into the unique place we call home. Funding for Oregon Experience is provided in part by Ann & Bill Swindells Charitable Trust, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Cultural Trust. The Oregon Experience Web site is opb.org/oregonexperience.

OPBMUSIC.ORG Launches T-Shirt Design Contest for Fans

Oregon Public Broadcasting is launching a T-shirt design contest for its online music service, opbmusic.org.

opbmusic was started in January 2008 and has quickly become a go-to spot for local Northwest and national indie music. The radio program and online music service has gained a loyal following with its music selection, the weekend show In House and for its frequent live in-studios with local and national bands.

Music Director David Christensen expressed excitement about the contest. "We just passed our one-year anniversary and this is a great way to celebrate going into our second year," he said. "opbmusic fans are a smart, creative bunch so it will be fun to see what people come up with."

The contest is open to Oregon and Washington residents and entry is free. The winning designer will receive a prize pack that includes dinner for two with an opbmusic DJ, two free tickets to a concert in the Portland area and a special invitation to attend an in-studio recording session for opbmusic in the OPB Studios in Portland.

The panel of judges will include opbmusic staff along with guests from the Portland design and music community, including Chad Crouch from Hush Records, Gary Houston from Voodoo Catbox, Mark Atherton from Ames Design and several musicians from the local music community.

opbmusic will accept designs beginning Wednesday, February 11 through Tuesday, March 10. For more information and contest rules, please visit the opbmusic Web site.

About opbmusic
opbmusic is a radio program and online music service devoted to showcasing local Northwest and national musical talent. Programming features a wide array of styles, especially indie rock, with elements of Americana, roots, world music and electronica. opbmusic can be streamed 24/7 on opbmusic.org and heard on 91.5 FM Saturday and Sunday nights under the name In House from 9pm to 12am. HD listeners can tune in to opbmusic continuously on 91.5-2.

Oregon Broadcasters Join Forces To Help Consumers Make the Digital Television Transition

Through an arrangement with the Oregon Association of Broadcasters, Oregon Public Broadcasting will expand its Digital Help Center to create a centralized resource to assist people during the digital transition. This comprehensive effort was initiated and funded by the Oregon Association of Broadcasters, with additional funding provided by Portland-area television stations, including KOIN (6), KGW (8), KPTV (12) and KPDX (49).

A number of commercial broadcasters as well as OPB will switch to digital-only broadcasting on February 18, the original date set by Congress.

"Stations have worked diligently to help people prepare, but we know that many will still have questions in the weeks before and after the switch," said Bill Johnstone, CEO of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters. "This central effort will make it easier for people to get help with one simple phone call. Since the OPB digital help team has already personally assisted nearly 25,000 people with the switch to digital television, we are confident that OPB is the right choice for the creation of a larger endeavor to serve even more people."

The Digital Help Center will assist people over the phone with challenges they may face in making the digital switch. From advice on setting up converter boxes to help walking through the rescanning process, to assistance with proper antenna placement, digital experts and station engineers will work to ensure the switch is successful for everyone.

The toll-free phone line for the Oregon Digital Help Center is 800.241.8123.
The Help Center will operate from 8am-5pm weekdays.

Expanded hours around the transition are:
February 14-15 weekend 8am-5pm
February 16 8am-9pm
February 17 8am-9pm
February 18 7am-9pm
February 19 7am-9pm
February 20 8am-7pm
February 21 8am-7pm
February 22-23 weekend 8am-5pm

In addition, a demonstration and resources area will be set up at the Help Center. People who need additional hands-on help can drop by OPB from 8am-5pm between February 14 and 23 to pick up instructions and hook-up diagrams, to view antenna options, or to see in person how to hook up a converter box.

Find out more about how to switch to digital at OPB's DTV NOW Web site.