A controller may include a programmable user interface controls configured to receive user input. The controller may also include multi-color backlights configured to backlight the programmable user interface controls. The controller may receive configuration information specifying an assignment of controllable parameters of the media system and associated backlighting colors to the at least one programmable user interface control, and may direct the multi-color backlights to backlight the programmable user interface controls in colors accordance with backlighting color information specified by the configuration information. The controller may further control a display screen to display the graphics or text descriptive of the assignable buttons in accordance with control descriptions included in the configuration information.