WUOT News Mission
We will educate and inform our listeners with well-produced stories and interviews that apply a human perspective to the important regional issues of the day.
We will pursue them with integrity, responsibility and a commitment to accuracy.
Matt Shafer Powell
News Director
974-9354
matt.shafer.powell@wuot.org
WUOT-FM has been recognized with its first-ever NATIONAL Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.
http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/2009-edward-r.-murrow-national-winners1799.php
(Scroll down to "Small Market Radio")
>>Click here to read the press release from the University.
>>Click here to listen to the award-winning entry.
The Radio-Television News Directors Association celebrated the best in radio, television, and online journalism as it presented Edward R. Murrow Awards to news organizations at a black-tie dinner in New York Oct. 12. WUOT's News Director, Matt Shafer Powell, was there to accept an award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.
>>photos
WUOT has received two 2009 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio-Television News Directors Association. WUOT was the regional Small Market winner in the “News Series” category for “My Life. My Vote," produced by WUOT News Director Matt Shafer Powell in conjunction with the Baker Center.
>>read the press release
>>Click here to listen to the award-winning feature.
WUOT had a great night at the annual East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists banquet held in Knoxville, winning all the awards in the Feature category and nearly all in the other two radio categories. WUOT also won the prestigious Horace V. Wells Community Service Award for the series My Life. My Vote., a category in which the station competed with ALL media, not only radio stations.
>>Click here to read the complete list of winning entries as well as audio links.
WUOT took two first-place awards at the Tennessee Associated Press banquet held recently in Nashville. Winning entries were: My Life. My Vote. for Best Enterprise and Dialogue for Best Radio Talk Show. WUOT also received three honorable mentions: WUOT News Staff - Best Overall;
Chrissy Keuper - Best Hard News Story (TVA vs. Hill); and
Matt Shafer Powell - Best Radio Newscaster.
>>Listen to the winning Dialogue compilation.
>>My Life. My Vote.
Dialogue is WUOT's award-winning monthly, call-in program that features issues and guests of interest
from East Tennessee. The show is hosted by Matt Shafer Powell and Chrissy Keuper and airs the
first Wednesday of every month at 1:00 p.m. The call-in number is 865-974-5050.
>>Listen to all the "Dialogue" podcasts.
If you are aware of an event or issue that might make an interesting feature story or topic for Dialogue, please send us a detailed message at newsroom@wuot.org. Make sure you include your name and the best way to contact you. We are not able to respond to every request, but each one will be carefully considered.
In the mid-1990’s, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development instituted the Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS, a computerized collection of data on the nation’s homeless. The system has been implemented throughout the country, and has been used in Knox County since 2004. Chrissy Keuper speaks with David Patterson, a professor of Social Work at the University of Tennessee and the director of Knox HMIS. Patterson says the number of homeless nationwide has leveled off, but that’s not the case in Knox County.
>>Listen
Anderson County students, teachers and administrators are saying goodbye this summer to a man who has helped shape their school system. V.L. Stonecipher was inspired by his own teachers while growing up in Anderson County, and he began teaching in the county in 1966. In his 43 years as an educator and administrator, Stonecipher has taught and led children of all ages. Chrissy Keuper spoke with him about some of the changes he’s seen and his hopes for the future of education.
http://sunsite.utk.edu/wuot/mt/podcast/063009VLStonecipher.mp3
Researchers with the University of Tennessee and the US Geological Survey are continuing work on the longest-running study of bears in the world. It began in 1968, when black bear populations all over the US were declining. Now, their numbers and territory are increasing, bringing them into contact with humans more often.
Photo right:
Frank van Manen scales a tree for a look at Mama and Cubs.
>>listen
Recent developments at General Motors are being watched closely in the East Tennessee community of Tellico Village. Tellico Village is home to hundreds of retired auto industry employees--- many from the Detroit area. And while members of Tellico's GM Club admit it's difficult to watch the company's troubles, their loyalty to GM remains unshaken. WUOT's Matt Shafer Powell reports.
>>listen
Each year, the Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council holds a “Women of Achievement” gala in Knoxville. This year’s keynote speaker knows a little about achievement. Pat Summitt has won eight national championships and more than a thousand games as Head Basketball Coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. In this interview with Chrissy Keuper, Summitt says the Girl Scouts she meets often have many of the same characteristics as the young women she coaches.
>>listen
In December, a massive coal ash spill at Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge into the surrounding rivers and neighborhoods. Since then, area residents have worried about the health of the water and the soil near the site. But as Spring and Summer approach, they’re beginning to worry about the air too. WUOT News Director Matt Shafer Powell was in Kingston earlier this week and files an updated story on TVA and the spill. Heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Click here for TVA's page on the ash spill.
Click here for a link to United Mountain Defense.
>>more photos
>>listen
Finding Life in the ShadowsKnoxville photographer David Habercom's portraits of homeless people have established him as an innovative and creative voice in the discussion about homelessness. Click here to see photos of Faith and Michael, the subjects who appear in the story.
Listen to WUOT's feature story about Habercom's work.
Click here to read about "The Other Side of the Street," heard Wednesdays, Nov. 7 - Dec. 26, during Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
WUOT had a great night at the annual East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists banquet held May 16, 2009 in Knoxville, winning all the awards in the Feature category and nearly all in the other two radio categories. WUOT also won the prestigious Horace V. Wells Community Service Award for the series My Life. My Vote., a category in which the station competed with ALL media, not only radio stations.
>>Click here to read the complete list of winning entries as well as audio links.
WUOT took two first-place awards at the Tennessee Associated Press banquet held recently in Nashville. Winning entries were: My Life. My Vote. for Best Enterprise and Dialogue for Best Radio Talk Show. WUOT also received three honorable mentions: WUOT News Staff - Best Overall;
Chrissy Keuper - Best Hard News Story (TVA vs. Hill); and
Matt Shafer Powell - Best Radio Newscaster.
>>Listen to the winning Dialogue compilation.
>>My Life. My Vote. web link
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WUOT-FM received two 1st place awards and two honorable mentions at the 2008 Tennessee Associated Press Awards.
1st place - Enterprise- Matt Shafer Powell and David Habercom "The Other Side of the Street"
1st place - Talk Show- Staff (Matt, Chrissy Keuper, Ann Lloyd & Greg Hill) "Dialogue"
Hon. Mention Hard News Story- Ann Lloyd "Internet Censorship"
Hon. Mention Hard News Story- Ann Lloyd "American Contractors in Iraq"
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2007 AWARDS
PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc) held July 2007:
Soft Feature- First place "Finding Life in the Shadows"
News Feature- Second Place "Last Stop at Deer Lodge"
Writing- First Place "Santa's Knife and Gun Shop"
Writing- Second Place "Finding Life in the Shadows"
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2007- Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association
First Place - "Dialogue" - Best Radio Talk Show
First Place - "Public Notice" - Best Hard News Story
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Society of Professional Journalists
Award of Excellence - General Reporting - "Fontana Lake"
Award of Merit - General Reporting - "Amendment One"
Award of Merit - Features - "Finding Life in the Shadows"
Award of Merit - Documentary/Public Affairs Programming - "Dialogue"
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April 2007 -- WUOT received a 2007 regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association for "Best Writing" in the Small Market Radio category for a region that includes Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky. The winning entry is a compilation of three different features stories that aired on WUOT during 2006: "Finding Life in the Shadows," "Santa's Gun and Knife Shop" and "Last Stop at Deer Lodge." Click here to listen to the feature.
2006 AWARDS
July 2006 -- WUOT won four awards at the PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc) Awards Banquest held Saturday, July 22nd. The awards, small newsroom category, went as follows:
1st Place (Documentary)--- Oak Ridge: In the Shadow of the Atom
1st Place (Series)--- Lost to War
1st Place (Writing)--- The Body Farm
2nd Place (Soft Feature)--- The Body Farm
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May 2006 - WUOT came away with several awards at the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Awards gathering Friday night, May 12, in Knoxville. The Golden Press Card Awards recognize Excellence in Journalism in East Tennessee.
The awards were as follows:
First Place- Award of Excellence (Radio Investigative Reporting): Ann Lloyd "Mold in Morristown Schools"
First Place- Award of Excellence (Radio Documentary/Public Affairs Programming): Matt Shafer Powell "Oak Ridge: In the Shadow of the Atom"
First Place- Award of Excellence (Radio Feature Reporting): Matt Shafer Powell "Lost to War"
Second Place- Award of Merit (Radio News Reporting): Ann Lloyd "Mold in Morristown Schools"
Second Place- Award of Merit (Radio Feature Reporting): Matt Shafer Powell "The Body Farm"
Second Place- Award of Merit (Radio Documentary/Public Affairs Programming): Matt Shafer Powell "Lost to War"
Third Place- (Radio News Reporting): Matt Shafer Powell "Tennessee Theatre Re-opens"
Honorable Mention- (Radio Feature Reporting): Ann Lloyd "Bat Boy the Musical"
August 2005 - WUOT's New Department had another excellent showing in the Tennessee AP Awards this year. WUOT came away with FIRST PLACE- OVERALL EXCELLENCE, as well as awards in the following catagories:
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
Honorable Mention for Use of Sound: "Guitar Camp"
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place for Breaking News: "Five Points"
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place for Talk Show: "Dialogue," WUOT's monthly live call-in program
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place- News Excellence/Writing: "Prom of the Stars"
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place- Enterprise: "Prom of the Stars"
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(Public Radio News Directors Inc) awards at the annual conference in Chicago. This is the only national contest that recognizes "outstanding public radio news reporting at local stations". Here are the winners:
First Place (Best Writing) "Wilma Dykeman profile"
First Place (News Feature) "Autism in Schools"
Second Place (Best Use of Sound) "Acoustic Camp"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
News Reporting: Award of Excellence- Matt Shafer Powell "Five Points"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
News Reporting: Award of Merit- Ann Lloyd "Austin Homes"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
News Reporting: Third Place- Matt Shafer Powell "Autism in Schools"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Feature Reporting: Award of Excellence- Matt Shafer Powell "Prom of the Stars"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Feature Reporting: Award of Merit- Ann Lloyd "Diversity Prom"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Feature Reporting: Third Place- Matt Shafer Powell "New Market Train Wreck"
The Arc of Tennessee
Media Excellence Award 2005
Matt Shafer Powell
"Prom of the Stars"
2005 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association -
Best Feature in the Small Market Radio category.
Matt Shafer Powell
“Prom of the Stars”
2006 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association - Best News Series in the Small Market Radio category.
Matt Shafer Powell
"Lost to War: the Fallen Remembered."
2004 Communicator Award of Distinction
Matt Shafer Powell
"Zero Tolerance"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First place for Enterprise:"Two Flags, One City"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Matt Shafer Powell
First Place for Writing (State-wide)
"Two Flags, One City"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Matt Shafer Powell
First Place for Writing (Knoxville market)
"Two Flags, One City"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Ann Lloyd
Honorable Mention for Writing (Knoxville market)
"Elkmont"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Matt Shafer Powell
First place for Sound Excellence (Knoxville market)
"Knoxville's Lost Vets"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Ann Lloyd
Honorable Mention for Sound Excellence (Knoxville market): "Cerebral Palsy Therapy"
“Battle of Fort Sanders”,
oil on canvas painting by N. Jordan, 1891.
Used by permission of East Tennessee
Historical Society Museum.
On November 29th, 2003, WUOT aired a special, half-hour documentary to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Sanders. "Two Flags, One City: Knoxville's Civil War" was produced by Matt Shafer Powell and features insights, perspective and commentary from some of East Tennessee's most-respected authorities on the Civil War. Click here to listen to "Two Flags, One City".
STATION TOUR
Take a photographic tour of WUOT's studio
If you missed a local feature story that aired recently on WUOT, you might
be able to find it in our News Feature Archives.
CLICK HERE to read or listen to the stories.
