OREGON EXPERIENCE: THE SPIRIT OF TEK Premieres May 3

In 1945 four young entrepreneurs decided to start an electronics company in Portland, Oregon. It was the right idea at the right time. In its heyday, Tektronix was Oregon's largest employer and earned a reputation as a "freewheeling idea factory" with ambitious and brilliant engineers. OREGON EXPERIENCE: THE SPIRIT OF TEK explores the history of a unique company through engaging archival film and photos, and the eyes of some early employees who remember the heyday of a company that changed the world. Tune in to the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting on Monday, May 3 at 9pm.

Howard Vollum was fresh from the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Jack Murdock was home from the Coast Guard. Both were radiomen eager to build new careers. Along with fellow "Coastie" Miles Tippery and accountant Glenn McDowell, they decided to start their own business and signed incorporation papers in 1945, naming their company Tektronix.

Both Murdock, who started his own radio repair and appliance shop after high school, and Vollum, a Reed College graduate with a degree in physics, wanted to build a small, family-like company. Tektronix employees were hired on the basis of talent and knowledge. All were encouraged to experiment, take risks and seek excellence in an informal, egalitarian culture. The company quickly became known as a freewheeling research factory that led the world in innovative, state-of-the art oscilloscopes and hundreds of related products. Tek engineers were engaged in continual research and constantly testing new ideas to make better products.

From the start Tek scopes were a huge success because no other company could match their quality, accuracy and design. Tek built a wide variety of scopes to meet the needs of the many industries they served including the computer, automotive and aircraft industries. In addition, Tek scopes were indispensible in the development and improvement of television and helped send men to the moon.

By the early 1980s Tektronix had ballooned into a billion dollar company and had become Oregon's largest private employer. But its size and success would also bring change. Ideas for new products and projects were often lost in the pipeline and many of Tek's best and brightest were leaving the company to start their own.

The exodus of top employees from Tek would help seed Oregon's Silicon Forest in Washington County – and help transform the state's traditional lumber and resource based economy to one of high tech manufacturing instead.

Today Tektronix and continues to produce oscilloscopes at its headquarters near Beaverton and employs about 4,500 people worldwide.

Watch the complete program online anytime after May 3 at opb.org/oregonexperience or at watch.opb.org.

About OREGON EXPERIENCE
OREGON EXPERIENCE is an exciting new history series on OPB-TV 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 (OPB), 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 half-hour 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.

OPB Wins Oregon Associated Press Broadcasters Honors

Oregon Public Broadcasting won 27 awards including 12 first place honors in as many categories in the annual Oregon Associated Press Broadcasters competition. OPB received the Overall Excellence award for Radio, and won First Place for Best Newscast, the first time OPB has won either category. The awards were presented in a ceremony held in Portland on Saturday.

"These results reflect a deep commitment to our community and a tremendous effort on the part of our newsroom," said Vice President of News and Public Affairs Morgan Holm. "Special series, such as our "Hard Times" series, which examined the impact of the economic downturn on Oregonians, our news, features and discussions on THINK OUT LOUD, focus on helping connecting Oregon and its neighbors," he said, adding that "Hard Times" was also recently honored with the prestigious Peabody Award.

"The Overall Excellence award recognizes our commitment to public service journalism and our high standards for broadcast and online news. Opbnews.org was recognized as the top radio news Web site and we won first, second and third place in the new category – Best Use of Online Medium. This is an encouraging reflection on the resources we are investing to build and integrate online news into our organization," said Holm.

OPB's awards:

Overall Excellence-Radio
First Place-OPB News staff

Best Newscast-Radio
First Place-OPB News staff

Best Breaking News-Radio
First Place: Portland Mayor Investigation (OPB News staff)

Best Hard Feature Story (Radio)
First Place: Discovery of Opium Poppies has Law Officers Concerned (April Baer, Beth Hyams) Second Place: Criticism Grows of Airport’s Noise Advisory Committee (Kristian Foden-Vencil, Eve Epstein) Third Place: Rich School, Poor School (Rob Manning, Eve Epstein)

Best Light Feature Story
First Place: Take your Daughter to Work Day (Kristian and Noelle Foden-Vencil, Eve Epstein) Second Place: Teachers Press Case for Junk Food Access (Chris Lehman, Northwest News Network) Third Place: Coping with Homelessness: One Lesson at a Transitional School (Rob Manning, Eve Epstein)

Best Website Overall Excellence (Radio)
First Place: opbnews.org

Best Use of Online Medium (Radio)
First Place: Hard Times Series (Michael Clapp and the whole news dept.) Second Place: The Challenge: 100 Days to Train a Wild Mustang (Michael Clapp and Pete Springer) Third Place: Big Pipe Snakes Beneath the City (Michael Clapp and Kristian Foden-Vencil)

Best Treatment of a Single Subject
First Place: Hard Times Series (Ethan Lindsey, Kristian Foden-Vencil, April Baer, Rob Manning, Eve Epstein, Scott Silver and Michael Clapp) Second Place: The Denmark Project (Christy George and Steven Kray)

Best Public Affairs
First Place: Think Out Loud-RX: Health Care Reform (Emily Harris, David Miller, Julie Sabatier, Allison Frost, Scott Silver, Steven Kray, Sarah Rothenfluch) Second Place: Think Out Loud-No Place to Call Home (Emily Harris, David Miller, Julie Sabatier, Allison Frost, Scott Silver, Steven Kray, Sarah Rothenfluch, Kristian Foden-Vencil, Rob Manning, Ethan Lindsey, Eve Epstein)

Best News Writing (Radio)
First Place: 150 mile Road Trip Reveals Uncertainty on Eve of Sesquicentennial (Chris Lehman, Northwest News Network) Second Place: Bend Real Estate Scams After Bubble Bursts (Ethan Lindsey, Eve Epstein) Third Place: Depression Echoes (Kristian Foden-Vencil, Beth Hyams, Eve Epstein)

Best Use of Sound
First Place: Portland Opera Records Phillip Glass’ Orphee (April Baer) Second Place: Big Pipe Snakes Beneath the City (Kristian Foden-Vencil) Third Place: Patrolling Oregon’s Vast High Desert Country (Pete Springer)

Best Sports Reporting
First Place: Cyclocross Popularity on Show at National Championships (Ethan Lindsey, Eve Epstein) Third Place: Blazers Fans Pumped for Season Opener (Beth Hyams, Tom Goldman)

The Oregon AP Broadcasters Association recognizes the best in Oregon broadcast journalism each year.

Oregon Public Broadcasting Honors Top Volunteers

Oregon Public Broadcasting presented Carl Nielsen and Marcia Hocker with the Jan Henderson Volunteer of the Year Award on April 15 at a special reception honoring OPB volunteers. Eleven volunteers were also recognized for 20 years of service to OPB.

Nielsen, a Portland resident, is the recipient of the Jan Henderson Volunteer of the Year Award for Service. A volunteer for 15 years, he assists in a variety of capacities including membership drives, special events and projects.

Hocker, from Gresham, is the recipient of the Jan Henderson Volunteer of the Year Award for Leadership. A volunteer on-air host for eight years and volunteer liaison for four years at KMHD, she played a vital role in the transition of the station from Mount Hood Community College to OPB last summer.

Recognized for 20 years of service were:
Art Abrams of Estacada, Pasqualina Bredl of Gresham, Homer Clark of Vancouver, Joy Dawson of Lake Oswego, Deborah Demoss Smith of Portland, Diane Imel of Wilsonville, David Johnson of Portland, Shawn Kirkeby of Portland, Robert Lubach of Scappoose, Richard Miller of Vancouver, Robert Steffen of West Linn and Don Stephens of Portland.

The Jan Henderson Volunteer of the Year Award was created in 2000 to honor the memory of Jan Henderson, a truly dedicated OPB volunteer. Jan's daughter, Bonnie, presented the awards. Jan was a volunteer at OPB for 12 years. "Jan Henderson epitomized the spirit of volunteerism with her commitment to OPB," said Dana Mahoney, of OPB's Volunteer Resources Department. "This year's award recipients show that same spirit and determination to make a difference at OPB," she said.

OPB'S THINK OUT LOUD Comes to Newport

Residents invited to discuss rural development opportunities

April 19 - Café Mundo, 711 N.W. 2nd Court, Newport
Time: 6pm reception/7pm show
Limited seating – first come, first seated

THINK OUT LOUD, OPB's daily radio conversation about news and issues, brings its show to Newport to look at how a small coastal town's marketing efforts can attract lifestyle entrepreneurs. Hosts Emily Harris and David Miller will lead a discussion with city planners and residents about how to unify business and tourism efforts to develop a destination neighborhood in this burgeoning community.

Residents are invited to join the audience for the live taping of the show on April 19. The show airs the following day at 9am and 9pm on the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting radio.

This THINK OUT LOUD discussion launches a joint effort by OPB and community partners in the Rural Economy Project. At nearly 11 percent, Oregon's unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation. Rural counties are especially hard hit with unemployment rates as high as 18 percent. Individuals and business in these rural areas are the focus of the Rural Economy Project beginning in Newport with one of TOL's many conversations around the state.

About the Rural Economy Project
The Rural Economy Project is an initiative led by OPB in collaboration with community-oriented organizations, Rural Development Initiative (RDI) Sustainable Northwest (SNW) and The Oregon Consortium & Oregon Workforce Alliance (TOC/OWA) to raise visibility on rural issues and provide critical resources for employment, business development and networking opportunities online at www.ripplenw.org. Funding for the project is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Public Invited to THINK OUT LOUD Broadcast With Special Guest, Ursula Le Guin

Renowned author and Oregon treasure Ursula Le Guin joins OPB's THINK OUT LOUD on Thursday, April 29 to talk about her prolific writing career; about how, at age 80, she's waiting for inspiration for another novel; about her fight with Google over copyright and more.

The program broadcasts live with a studio audience and includes opportunities for audience members to ask questions. It's free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 8am. The program starts at 9am sharp and concludes at 10am.

People can also participate by calling in during the broadcast or posting their thoughts and questions ahead of time on the THINK OUT LOUD Web site for this show.

This program is part of THINK OUT LOUD’s ongoing "Northwest Passages" series of interviews with regional writers. Those and all THINK OUT LOUD programs are downloadable for free at opb.org/thinkoutloud.

OPB National TV Production Approved for a Six-Part Primetime Series on PBS

Producers Launching Sponsorship Effort to Bring Series to National Audience

Oregon Public Broadcasting just moved one giant step closer to presenting a new series to public television audiences nationwide. PBS has asked The Talbot Players, an OPB production partner, to begin developing six one-hour episodes of SOUND TRACKS: MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS. The series will explore America and the world through music.

PBS Chief TV Programming Executive John F. Wilson stated that PBS is prepared to air SOUND TRACKS in prime time next year, pending full funding of the project. “The pilot episode is a handsome, exceptionally well-produced, innovative and exciting show,” said Wilson, adding that the series will “bring fresh and diverse voices to PBS.”

PBS’ endorsement is based on the successful national broadcast of a pilot SOUND TRACKS episode on January 25. Press and viewer response, including hundreds of e-mails from viewers, was overwhelmingly positive. The pilot episode was also pre-released online on the PBS Video Player, earning a spot among the top 10 most viewed videos in January and February.

SOUND TRACKS is presented to public television by Oregon Public Broadcasting, one of the nation’s top producers and presenters of public television programming including HISTORY DETECTIVES, TIME TEAM AMERICA, THE SIXTIES, RAPE OF EUROPA and FOREIGN EXCHANGE WITH FAREED ZAKARIA. David Davis, executive producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting, added this endorsement: “We were thrilled with the way the pilot was received, and we know the series will be huge hit for PBS, assuming we can find the necessary production funding.”

“People who liked our show really liked it,” said Executive Producer Stephen Talbot. “It struck a nerve with a younger audience who told us, ‘This is not my father’s PBS. I love it.’ But it also had cross-generational appeal. One man wrote: ‘It’s one of the best programs I’ve ever seen and I’m nearly 70.’ “

Viewers called SOUND TRACKS “colorful, catchy and inspiring;” “thought-provoking” and “mesmerizing.” “Finally, a smart show with a sense of humor and an even better sense of rhythm,” e-mailed one woman.

“We think SOUND TRACKS offers underwriters a unique opportunity to reach an influential, well-educated PBS demographic, while also appealing to a younger, more diverse audience,” says Talbot. “This will be a cross-platform show with a major online presence and endless possibilities for sharing the music we report about.”

The New York Times called the SOUND TRACKS pilot “engrossing” and “fascinating.” The San Francisco Chronicle said, “What makes it special is…opening ears to new sound [that] can also open minds to greater cross-cultural understanding.”

The SOUND TRACKS pilot reported three stories – revealing the masterminds behind a Russian hit pop song called “A Man Like Putin;” exploring the legacy of Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti; and uncovering the surprising story behind the music in the outrageous comedy Borat. The show ended with an exclusive, soulful “global hit” performance by the reigning queen of Portuguese fado: Mariza.

The series will continue to be a musical adventure, combining compelling, well-reported stories with musical performances. While exploring the world, every episode of the series will also highlight American music and stories, featuring both famous and undiscovered talents.

Marco Werman of Public Radio International’s The World hosts SOUND TRACKS. As senior producer and anchor for the weekday news show, Werman brings international news and music to an audience of 2.8 million listeners each week. A global music expert and fan, Marco has produced The World’s daily “Global Hit” segment since 1997.

Werman is assisted by a reporting team of savvy journalists including NOVA and FRONTLINE/World producer Alexis Bloom, NPR and FRONTLINE producer Arun Rath and The San Francisco Guardian’s Mirissa Neff (aka DJ Felina).

With SOUND TRACKS’ strong audience support and PBS support for the series as primetime offering, Stephen Talbot’s company, The Talbot Players, is approaching potential funding partners for a six-part series. The pilot episode was made possible by support from AT&T and PBS, with additional underwriting from the Center for Asian American Media, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Latino Public Broadcasting, Native American Public Telecommunications and the National Black Programming Consortium.

Watch the series and read viewer comments at pbs.org/soundtracks.

Find photos and host bios at http://pressroom.pbs.org/programs/sound_tracks_music_without_borders

Fan the show at facebook.com/soundtrackstv