Days before Austin’s public radio station was set to launch its inaugural festival focused on community, music and politics on the University of Texas campus, top university officials ordered KUT to scale back its plans.
The two-day festival, set to begin Friday on campus, was scheduled to feature U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and retiring U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin. Now, the festival must relocate Friday and Saturday panels and outside events to off-campus locations after UT leaders directed the station to cancel all outdoor events.
UT’s order, which cited security concerns, came from top university officials a week before the festival was set to begin. KUT was not given a chance to review or respond to any concerns raised, KUT General Manager Debbie Hiott told festival speakers in a Tuesday evening email.
The decision was bewildering to event organizers, who had worked since the fall with others at UT to plan the festival and followed all safety requests, she wrote. She said KUT first heard from top university officials, whom Hiott did not name, last Wednesday afternoon.
“In our months of planning, we have agreed to every health, security and safety request that has been made of us and our production company, which has produced the Texas Tribune Festival and many other major events over the years,” Hiott wrote to speakers Tuesday. “We would have been happy to sit down with the appropriate officials and go over their...
*This content was translated by AI. Professional basketball team Busan KCC has filed a criminal complaint against two officials from Daegu Korea Gas Corporation on charges of defamation. On the 24t...