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Bill Arhos Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SWWC-067

Scope and Contents

The Austin City Limits Collection spans the years from 1974 to 2002. It is a diverse collection that contains material and artifacts documenting Austin City Limits and artists connected with the show. The collection was compiled by Bill Arhos (co-creator, executive producer and program director for Austin City Limits), and also documents the Austin Film Festival and PBS-KLRU/KLRN.

The collection includes press clippings, publicity materials, photographs, correspondence, galley proofs for the book Austin City Limits by Cliff Endres, and ephemera such as t-shirts, hats, backstage passes, posters, and tickets. Of particular interest are the press clippings and publicity items. These materials serve as a valuable supplement for other research resources to reveal a comprehensive portrait of the operations and history of the show.

Also included in the collection is memorabilia from Austin City Limits, related artists, the Austin Film Festival, and the Ned Blessing film production, including t-shirts, ball caps, backstage passes, promo art, postcards, tickets, and other miscellanea. Notable is the Arhos-compiled scrapbook (box 4), which was begun in the early days of the show, but not completed. During processing of the collection, it was scanned, then disassembled.

Also included is the typewriter upon which Arhos wrote the proposal to PBS to fund the Austin City Limits pilot.

Dates

  • 1974-2002

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research

Conditions Governing Use

Materials from the Wittliff Collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user assumes responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish, and abiding by U.S. copyright laws. https://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/visit/policies/publication.html

Historical Note

Austin City Limits, a television program showcasing musicians in concert performances, was founded in 1974 by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate station KLRU-TV in Austin, TX. The show’s creators were Bill Arhos, then program director, as well as Paul Bosner and Bruce Scafe, who subsequently produced and directed programs for the series. Their aim was to develop a locally produced program that could attract national attention through distribution to PBS affiliates. Capitalizing on the growing Austin music scene of the 1970s, Arhos received PBS funding for a pilot show featuring Willie Nelson and Family.

Station executives across the country liked the pilot and funded filming for Austin City Limits first season, thirteen shows that were taped in 1975 and premiered in 1976. Austin City Limits continues to follow that filming schedule with each season taped during one calendar year and aired the next. The one-hour programs usually pair two musicians, each given thirty-minute segments in which to deliver an uninterrupted, concert-style performance to a studio audience. Nationally known artists are often paired with lesser-known regional or local performers, giving those lesser-known artists a chance to be seen by the whole country. Although the mainstream country and progressive country genres have been staples of the program, Austin City Limits has also featured an eclectic mix of American music: jazz, blues, folk, pop and rock. Studio 6-A in the Communications building on The University of Texas (UT) campus is the permanent home for the show. Some members of the production crew have been with the show since the beginning. In November 2003, Austin City Limits became the first television program ever to be awarded the National Medal of Arts by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The donor of this collection, Bill Arhos, was co-creator of Austin City Limits and executive producer of the show until his retirement in 1999. A Texas native and graduate of Rice University, he received his Master of Educational Administration from Texas A & M. A semi-pro baseball player and a schoolteacher for part of his career, Arhos began working at KLRN-TV, now KLRU, in 1961. He was an instructor in Radio/TV/Film at UT from 1965-1970. He served six years on the PBS Board of Directors and completed two terms on the Country Music Association (CMA) Board of Directors in 1994. Over four decades in public television, Arhos produced and directed educational and entertainment programs, series and specials, and served as program director, general manager, and president of KLRU. He passed away on April 11, 2015 at the age of eighty.

Extent

8 Linear Feet

11 boxes (plus artifacts)

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

  • The descriptive data created for this finding aid is licensed under the CC0 Creative Commons license and is free for use without restriction.

Abstract

The Bill Arhos Papers contains documents and artifacts relevant to Austin City Limits and artists connected to the show, gathered by Bill Arhos, co-creator, executive producer, and program director. It includes press clippings, publicity materials, photographs, correspondence, galley proofs for the book Austin City Limits by Cliff Endres, and memorabilia.

Physical Location

Materials may be stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use: https://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/makearesearchappointment.html.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Bill Arhos, 2000 and 2002

Title
Guide to the Bill Arhos Papers
Subtitle
(Austin City Limits)
Author
Heather Milligan and Ruth Sullivan
Date
2003
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2011: Finding aid revised by Maggie DeBrecht
  • 2021: Revised for ArchivesSpace by Katie Salzmann

Repository Details

Part of the The Wittliff Collections Repository

Contact:
601 University Drive
San Marcos Texas 78666 USA