2019 IMPACT REPORT In 2019, WUOT marked its 70th anniversary. And there was plenty to celebrate throughout the year: innovative programming, exciting partnerships with other public media outlets as well as arts and community organizations, a mix of new and familiar voices on the air, and national recognition of our work and people. We hope you’ll enjoy this look back at a landmark year and a peek ahead at 2020—all made possible by the financial support of our listeners. PROGRAM & EVENT HIGHLIGHTS WUOT’s news department built on its legacy of producing in-depth feature reporting that tells East Tennessee’s stories in a unique, engaging way: Heather Duncan’s “I Know What It Feels Like to Be Alone” took listeners to a Knox County military cemetery for funeral services for veterans without immediate family. A crowd of fellow veterans and local residents gathered to honor the seven people buried that day. Leslie Snow’s “A Seat at the Counter” featured the voices of five Knoxville civil rights pioneers who helped integrate public places. The group reflected on the slow pace of progress toward greater racial harmony in the decades since. Intern Baylor Spears reported why Townsend’s footbridges are tightly woven into the community’s fabric, and how confusion among local governments almost spelled the end of those bridges. On Dialogue, Chrissy Keuper explored the ‘Ayn Gharandal archaeological field school in Jordan. News Director Brandon Hollingsworth spoke with community activists who want city leaders to pay attention to underrepresented groups. And Claire Heddles explained what state leaders plan to do with more than 700 million federal child care dollars they didn’t spend. Chrissy Keuper hosted All Things Considered live from Great Smoky Mountains National Park on November 19. Moving outside the studio demonstrated our remote broadcast capabilities, which are important in providing regional coverage. In October, WUOT partnered with Compass Knox and the Change Center to present a mayoral forum. Candidates Indya Kincannon and Eddie Mannis spoke to voters in East Knoxville about their plans for city government and leadership in their third and final joint appearance ahead of the November general election. Some of the forum’s questions were drawn from the community. The music department doubled the number of interviews it conducted from 2018. Ben Hall, Monday night host of Improvisations and an undergraduate student at UT, conducted an interview with guitar legend Eddie Duran. It turned out to be Duran’s last interview before his death in November. Afternoon Concert host Ace Edewards introduced the Vocal Hour as a feature of the program. Improvisations added Live at Lucille’s as a program embed in collaboration with East Tennessee PBS. RAISED IN KNOXVILLE As part of our 70th anniversary celebration, WUOT partnered WUOT was one of 37 public with Rush’s Music and Knox County Schools to hold a musical broadcasting affiliates nationwide instrument drive, collecting and repairing more than 60 used to receive funding from the instruments for Knox County students in need. Corporation for Public Broadcasting WUOT sponsored 73 area events for arts organizations to produce projects associated including the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, Circle Modern with the Ken Burns Country Music Dance, the Knoxville Choral Society, the Oak Ridge Civic documentary, which aired on PBS Music Association, and the Joy of Music School, as well in the fall. Playing on the old saying as civic groups such as the Veterans Council of East that country music was born in Tennessee, Legacy Housing Foundation, and CAC Beardsley Bristol and raised in Knoxville, Community Farm. Raised in Knoxville included a seven- episode podcast series, special episodes of Flipside and Dialogue, PEOPLE two newly commissioned songs We welcomed the return of Chrissy Keuper, anchoring from local artists, and a free live All Things Considered, and the arrival of Claire Heddles, concert. It involved partnerships anchoring Morning Edition. Both are applying their talents with area organizations including and curiosity to telling East Tennessee’s stories as hosts and East Tennessee PBS, WDVX Public reporters. Radio, the Museum of Appalachia, Jim Blalock, host of the Early Morning Concert, passed the Birthplace of Country Music away in November after a lengthy battle with cancer. Clara Museum, the Knoxville History Prinston, a UT undergraduate student, served as Jim’s Project, the Tennessee Archive of substitute during treatment and has since been promoted Moving Image and Sound, the Arbor to host of the Early Morning Concert. Her first interview recording studio, and Appalachian produced for WUOT was a feature on UT Opera’s Media Archives. production of Carmen. wuot.org/raised-knoxville Denise Carpenter retired after 50 years of service. She wore a number of hats throughout her time at WUOT, and most recently provided administrative support for the underwrit- ing department. She stayed on to help train her replace- ment, Kristen Faerber, who joined the staff in September. Our internship program continues to provide opportunities to college students and serves as a farm system for public radio and journalism. The news department worked with five interns in 2019. AWARDS & RECOGNITION Brandon Hollingsworth’s story “Turning the Sexual Misconduct Conversation into Action” took first place in the interview category and an episode of Dialogue, “Systemic Racism,” took second place in the call-in program category in the Public Radio News Directors Inc. awards HealthConnections competition. HealthConnections marked its third Hollingsworth and Carole Myers of HealthConnections received year in 2019. Brandon Hollingsworth, Contact Care Line’s Robert Meachem Beyond the Call Award UT Associate Professor of Nursing for public service, which recognizes work done to boost Carol Myers, and their guests helped awareness of mental health issues in the community. listeners understand the latest wrangling over the future of the Morning Concert host Melony Dodson was a featured guest Affordable Care Act, state health on Garrett McQueen’s national podcast Trilloquy. legislation, and general trends in health care and medicine. Among the season’s STAY TUNED episodes were these standouts: Melony Dodson has resurrected UT Concert Hall, which Genoa Clark, program director of returned to WUOT on January 2, 2020, after a five-year Choice Health Network, discussed hiatus. The weekly program features UT School of Music unique ways to address substance faculty and students and airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. We’re abuse using practices developed pleased to bring back this local program, which was a by those who have lived through favorite of WUOT listeners for more than two decades. addiction. A new locally produced world music program hosted by UT economist Matt Harris discussed John Habel (former Improvisations host and a member how people and health care providers of the WUOT Advisory Board) and Katherine Emlen is will be affected by cuts to Knox coming to WUOT-2 this spring. County’s indigent care budget. Music Director Todd Steed is developing a jazz- and Metro Drug Coalition’s Karen Pershing travel-inspired podcast as well as a documentary on and Knox County Health Department the 1982 World’s Fair produced in conjunction with UT’s Director Martha Buchanan described Department of History. actions being taken locally to combat opioid overuse. On August 8, WUOT will host a 70th anniversary celebration at the Knoxville Museum of Art. This special event will feature Myers analyzed Governor Bill Lee’s music from the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra with public radio– plans to inject more money into the themed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in a festive avant-garde state’s limited safety net programs celebration of WUOT and its history of service. and last-resort medical treatments. Two HealthConnections episodes were produced in partnership with NPR member station WHYY in Philadelphia. wuot.org/programs/healthconnections IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Listen to many of the stories and interviews mentioned here in our archives, available through the WUOT app or at wuot.org. OPERATING REVENUES Community service grants donated $151,907 by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Appropriations from the 545,715 University of Tennessee Underwriting income 291,807 Membership income 802,798 Indirect support from the 176,223 University of Tennessee In-kind contributions 37,596 Production revenue 2,780 Total operating revenues 2,008,826 OPERATING EXPENSES Programming and production 946,896 Broadcasting 294,903 Programming information and 17,176 promotion Management and general 457,787 Fundraising and membership 188,704 FINANCIAL development STATEMENT Underwriting and grant solicitation 195,978 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING Total operating expenses 2,101,444 JUNE 30, 2019 Operating loss (92,618) NON-OPERATING REVENUES Interest income 55,308 Unrealized gain (loss) on investments (11,232) Total non-operating revenues 44,076 Decrease in net position (48,542) NET POSITION, beginning of year 1,541,053 NET POSITION, end of year $ 1,492,511 All Corporation for Public Broadcasting public radio and TV stations must submit financial statements and an annual financial report each year as a requirement to receive a Community Service Grant. Community support (contributions from listeners and underwriting from businesses and nonprofit organizations) provides the largest portion of the station’s annual revenue, followed by the University of Tennessee, the Corporation for Public