Every weekday at 10 a.m., listeners are invited to hear stories from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley as “Texas Standard” goes live from the KUT Public Media Studios at Moody College of Communication. Across the state, more than 30 stations broadcast the show over the airwaves throughout the day.  

“Texas Standard,” which was founded on a belief that Texas journalists are best equipped to tell their state’s stories, celebrates its 10th birthday this year.

“I think we really were doing something that no one had quite done the same way before,” Laura Rice, the managing producer and occasional host, said. “There are a ton of different things that Texans experience day in and day out that others might fly in and develop an opinion on, but that’s not quite the same as being someone who is from this community and reporting on it.”

Rice joined “Texas Standard” 10 years ago after working in the KUT Newsroom. She loved what she did at KUT News but wanted to stretch her legs and jumped at an opportunity to work for a brand-new show.

“It was actually a little bit of a risk because they didn’t know if this thing they had in mind was going to be a success,” Rice said. “I don’t remember exactly what it said in the online posting for the job, but it was basically ‘employment contingent on the success of the show.’”

A decade later, it’s apparent that the show’s Texas-sized ambition has paid off. Alexandra Hart, who graduated from the School of Journalism and Media, joined the show as an intern shortly after it started before coming on as a full-time reporter and producer. She said it’s been impressive watching “Texas Standard” go from a small and scrappy crew, seeing if they could fill an hour exclusively with Texas news, to the public radio staple it is today.

“I think the way that ‘Texas Standard’ has helped shape the public radio landscape is important,” Hart said.

The show’s involvement in The Texas Newsroom is a huge part of its impact. The Texas Newsroom, which launched in 2019, is a collaboration among several public radio stations around the state. By working together and sharing content across channels, these stations are able to provide a broader range of coverage.

“Collaboration is really the biggest part of what The Texas Newsroom is,” Rice said. “It’s grown into a lot more than just not stepping on each other’s toes.” 

Because of its state-centered reporting, “Texas Standard” is able to cover daily news and also explore the more unique facets of Texas life and culture. Some of Rice’s favorite stories are the program’s special projects that do just that.

One of the earlier specials she worked on was an oral history 50 years after the tragic UT Tower shooting that pulled together the perspectives of around 80 witnesses. Another more lighthearted project shared the special relationship between Texans and gas stations, delving into the businesses’ history and cultural impact and looking into the future of electric vehicles.

“I think that’s the really cool thing about ‘Texas Standard,’” Hart said. “There’s just so much cultural and geographic diversity in the state, so you have the freedom to explore different aspects of what makes Texas Texas.”

Many listeners are drawn to the show by a love of their state, even if the story of the hour features a town hundreds of miles away. Texas state pride is just different. Rice said she guesses she has pride for her home state of Kansas, but for many Texans, it’s palpable.

Molly-Jo Tilton, who graduated from Moody College with a degree in journalism, produced one of her favorite stories while interning for “Texas Standard.” In it, she featured a nonprofit in San Antonio that helps veterans adjust to civilian life through a knife-making class and peer support groups. Tilton took the class and came away from it with a personal connection to the veterans, a handmade knife and a TMA Jones Anson, MD, Award for health reporting.

“Being able to feature that kind of organization was really impactful for me,” Tilton said. “Especially because I’m from San Antonio. My parents aren’t military, but I grew up in a very military community, so being able to give back to my community was really impactful.”

This year, the show celebrates 10 years of serving Texans and building an archive of state happenings. On March 2 — Texas Independence Day — staff members threw a birthday bash at Scholz Garten for employees and listeners alike. Hart said getting to meet the audience and see the show’s influence in person was special.

At the party, a young man introduced himself to Rice, sharing that he had discovered “Texas Standard” as a high schooler in West Texas and used it to study for UIL current events competitions. He told her that listening to the show changed his life and inspired him to study history and politics in college.

“That’s my very favorite thing,” Rice said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”  

The show has also deeply influenced the people who have worked there over the years. Tilton, who now works as a multimedia reporter for Waco’s NPR station, KWBU, credits her time at “Texas Standard” for giving her a support system and the confidence to tackle a new position at her station.

“’Texas Standard’ is my favorite program of the day,” Tilton said. “I’ve lived in Texas my whole life, so having a place that gives you Texas-centric news, even if it’s a national story, is something that’s really special to me. I’m so honored to have been a part of it, and I’m so glad that it’s going to keep going.”

After a decade, Rice believes her risky job move has more than paid off. She and the rest of the producers at “Texas Standard” plan to keep helping Texans navigate their world for as long as they can. 

“I hope to build a bigger tent,” Rice said. “We don’t want to be an exclusive club by any means. I want to highlight more young voices on the show and make sure that Texans hear themselves and hear their thoughts and opinions reflected and get their questions answered.