July/August 2015 Vol 30 #4 Wcte.Org
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July/August 2015 Vol 30 #4 wcte.org 〉 Contents Staff & Management PUBLIC TELEVISION FROM THE UPPER CUMBERLAND (931) 528-2222 or (800) 282-9283 Avery Owens Becky Magura Discover the Upper Cumberland A Director of Advancement 4 President & CEO new WCTE series that tells the stories of Jodi Pitts ~Auction & Special Celeste Bennett Events Coordinator people and places from right here in the Account Manager Cindy Putman ~ Ready to Mary Boring Upper Cumberland. Learn Tools Facilitator Engineering & Tech. Liaison Hannah Rawiszer Reggie Brown Asst. to the CEO 5 Spotlight on Shan Burklow & Education & Community Nathaniel Rich Engagement Associate Suzanne Reynolds Williams Hosts Programming and Master of our broadcast from the Smithville Desirée Duncan Control Associate Director of Content Seth Stanger Fiddlers’ Jamboree. Allison Fox ~ Grant Manager/De- Sales & Development Assistant velopment Assistant Shannon Terry August Membership Drive Craig Gray ~ Business Develop- Membership Coordinator 6 ment Producer highlights from our Ralph Welch Shows A few Jenna Hillis ~ Special Events Director of Engineering/ special membership programming. Support Technology Craig LeFevre Rick Wells Master Control Op Manager Senior Producer/Director 8 Early Beginnings The second in Samantha McCowan ~ Special Lee Wray ~ American Gradu- a series of documentaries from our Events Assistant ate Program Manager American Graduate initiative. Upper Cumberland Broadcast Council Jere Hargrove, Chair Dr. Katherine Bertram On our cover Tom Janney, Vice Chair Marc L. Burnett Andrea Burckhard, Secretary Mona Copeland LIFE ON THE REEF Joe Albrecht, Treasurer Dr. Wali R. Kharif Amid the fringing reefs, coral cays and islands Lillian Hartgrove, Past Chair Nina Lunn Becky Magura, Jack Stites of the Torres Strait, the human residents living WCTE Pres. & CEO Kelly Swallows on the Great Barrier Reef seek to find the Mike Galligan Dr. Alan Tatum critical balance between their needs and those of a diminishing natural world. LIFE ON THE Community REEF combines storytelling with cutting-edge Advisory Board cinematography to present a unique angle on Australia’s greatest natural icon. Story on p. 15. Dr. Steve Copeland, DVM Jack Barton Diana Baranowski Lissa Parks Dr. Carl Owens Ben Newman Program guides 9 Daytime Programming Hal L. Harder - Managing Editor Ready To Learn and weekend guide [email protected] For on-air, print and website advertising and 10 Primetime Programming promotion information, contact Avery Owens at Quality PBS evening programs 931.528.2222, ext 220 or [email protected] p.13 WCTE Close-Up is published bi-monthly. It is mailed to individuals, WCTE-HD Ch. 22.1, WCTE-WORLD SD Ch. 22.2 corporations and foundations who contribute $35 or more to WCTE annually. Third class postage at Cookeville, Tennessee. Phone: & WCTE-Create SD Ch. 22.3 931.528.2222. Schedule is subject to change without notice. Send address changes to WCTE, P.O. Box 2040, Cookeville, Tennessee 38502. Check out the schedule on the website at wcte.org. January/February 2014 | 3 Premiering Thursday, July 16 at 7pm “The Upper Cumberland is a treasure trove of fascinating people, places and stories. Over the years, we would have loved to tell them but we just didn’t have a show with the format that made pursuing many of these stories a viable option,” said Desirée Duncan, Director of Content for WCTE. “Until now.” Like the 2013 WCTE documentary of the same name, WCTE’s new half- hour series, Discover the Upper Cumberland, explores our rich heritage of culture, history, music, art, craft, performances, tourism and natural beauty. Where it differs is in the depth and examination of issues that af- fect us like health and education, people and subcultures that intrigue us, interesting businesses and non-profits, and topics pertaining to our area. “ The Discover the Upper Cumberland series takes us on location AND brings us into the studio for interviews with experts about local issues. There are plans to produce at least one segment from each of the 14 counties of the Upper Cumberland each and every season. “I’ve wanted to do this for a while,” said Desirée. “The idea for the series came to me seven years ago while I was still working at the PBS station Desirée Duncan, Director of Content for WCTE in Las Vegas. For a long time, I felt that PBS stations’ programs were often addressing a niche audience. Discover the Upper Cumberland is a maga- “We are grateful for a grant from our friends at zine show that has something for everyone. A viewer may tune in for one the USDA to purchase new equipment, which segment and be ‘grabbed’ by another. The program enables WCTE to will in turn make us more versatile and allow us share the stories that make our area of the world unique.” tell more visually stunning stories.” THE TENNESSEANS: A Volunteer Legacy Premiering Sunday, July 5 at 4:30pm, encore Monday, July 6 at 9pm First Tennessee Bank partnered with Ed Hooper and Rowland Pictures of Knoxville to produce the The Tennesseeans: A Volunteer Legacy. This bicentennial story is the first documentary to highlight the events, men and women that earned the “Volunteer” state its nickname, from the Revolutionary War Battle of Kings Mountain to the modern battlefields of today. It was shot on location across the country and features nationally recognized military historians, rare films and photographs that tell a story few know about the state’s military legacy. “Tennessee more or less defined the citizen-soldier in U.S. history and the stories of these men and women need to be preserved,” said Producer Ed Hooper. “We went to the sources to do it. The Department of Defense graciously gave us access and permis- sion to their people and resources; I ran down private collectors, cutting room floor because you can’t tell all the stories in the time descendants, and national historians, and the rest was a statewide we had. The story behind the ‘Volunteer’ nickname is one of the effort from Elizabethton to Memphis. I hated what was left on the most remarkable legacies in the nation.” LIVE GREEN TENNESSEE Season 8 Premiere - July 27 4 | WCTE Close-Up Shan Burklow & Suzanne Reynolds Williams WCTE’s Hosts for the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree Broadcast n 2013, after over 30 years of hosting the extra vegetables from their garden. It’s truly scaffolding in the sky!” Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree on WCTE, beautiful and extraordinary…but simple.” Becky Magura and Steve Boots decided The dynamic mother-daughter duo both to step down. Executive Producer/Direc- When it comes to the Jamboree, there is no have a deep appreciation for what the WCTE Itor Rick Wells had an idea for new hosts. He doubt about the special place it holds in broadcast has done for the Jamboree. approached Suzanne Reynolds Williams, their hearts. Executive Director of the Smithville-DeKalb “WCTE and Public Television ha ve taken our County Chamber of Commerce. “I love the Jamboree!” declared Suzanne hometown festival to becoming a nationally- emphatically. “I have never missed a single known event attended by people from all “Rick Wells came to me with a shocking year. Whether as a spectator, volunteer, across the U.S. and around the world,” re- request,” said Suzanne. “So shocking that I board member, or even the unimaginable, marked Suzanne. “I am impressed by WCTE’s had to get him to explain his proposal twice. co-hosting the event for WCTE-TV, I have ability to promote our Upper Cumberland I couldn’t imagine in a hundred years that I been involved since the beginning.” region in such a larger than life way. From would ever be considered as public televi- Bluegrass Underground to Hippie Jack’s to the So what are the rewards and challenges in sion host material.” Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree, tourists pour hosting the Jamboree? into this area because of WCTE’s view of this Suzanne asked her oldest interesting and diverse region.” daughter Shan to join her as co-host, and she agreed “Branding the Upper Cumberland because “my ‘Smother’ is so important to our area, and asked me to. It’s that no other entity has the scope and simple. I seldom say no to capability of better accomplishing my mom.“ that than our beloved WCTE-TV and their commitment to spread- But it was more than just ing the word of all we have to a mother-daughter thing. offer here!” Shan’s career path made her the perfect choice. “The Jamboree would be a small, hometown fiddle fest without “I traveled on a national the footprint of awareness given book tour at the age of 19. by WCTE and public television,” Ten years later, a career in added Shan. “I am continually children’s book publishing amazed at WCTE’s ability to adapt and public speaking led to to changing times while keeping a advertising, then commer- strong vision of what’s important cial photography, and now to them. They keep their values marketing. I am the Direc- strong and solid across varied tor of Marketing for DeKalb platforms. They have a massive Community Hospital and social media presence while main- Stones River Hospital. It’s taining their integrity and focus. nice to make a difference Suzanne likes everything! “From the little That’s very hard to do.” right where you live.” voices in your head coming from the head- Shan continued. “WCTE and our public phones, the cheer of the crowd, the beat of Suzanne and Shan were both born in Smith- television stations across the nation are our the bluegrass, and the sound of your own ville. Aside from 11 years their family spent personal voice. It is a voice that is unfiltered heart beating in your ears, nothing could in Atlanta, they have always lived in DeKalb and genuine.