WMOT: A Decade Of Roots Radio Excellence
• On Sept. 2, WMOT (Roots Radio 89.5 FM), an NPR affiliate and listener-supported public radio station operated by Middle Tennessee State University and its Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, will celebrate 10 years as one of the country’s leading voices in Americana music, marking a decade of championing artists, connecting listeners, and demonstrating the enduring power of human-curated public radio.
Since flipping format to Americana on September 2, 2016, the 100,000-watt Middle Tennessee station has been an early supporter of artists including Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell, The War And Treaty, Allison Russell, and many more. Along the way, WMOT has grown from a regional radio station into a national and international destination for Americana and roots music, with an online and app-based audience now reaching roughly 1 million and growing.
“At WMOT we’re celebrating 10 years as THE Americana music station in Middle Tennessee,” said WMOT Executive Director Val Hoeppner. “I think our success is because we are a public radio station, charged with following the interests of our listeners, not stockholders. At a time when algorithms and computers drive songs on streaming platforms, WMOT plays artists’ careers. With authenticity as the core of our brand, we employ human hosts that handcraft playlists for exploration and music discovery.”
WMOT PD Jessie Scott remarked, “We signed WMOT on as Roots Radio ten years ago to do something no one else had done — we made American Roots music the center of our programming. Most stations, if they play Americana at all, make it peripheral to the rest of music they play. We have watched many artists we have championed go on to sold-out shows and yearly nominations in the Grammys, Americana Music Association, IBMA, and Folk Alliance worlds. It’s most gratifying to be a conduit between the audiences, artists, and venues. Somebody had to do it!”
WMOT is inviting listeners to celebrate the anniversary alongside station staff at two Nashville institutions on Sept. 2. The festivities begin at 11:30am at Brown’s Diner, where listeners can join the WMOT team for lunch and performances from Roderick August at 11:30am and Lucciana Costa at 12:15pm. From 4:30-6:30pm, the celebration moves to Robert’s Western World for happy hour and live performances from Paul Kramer and Kelley’s Heroes.
