NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 has opened a new satellite studio based in Nashville that will allow the station to be where the artists are and expand its live radio and video programming as the largest Americana radio station in the United States.

A ribbon-cutting celebration was held Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the new 800-square-foot satellite studio at the Riverside Revival events venue located at 1610 Porter Road in East Nashville. The private event included music and an in-studio interview with country artist Sunny Sweeney was livestreamed and broadcast on air.

“This marks a new chapter for WMOT. This satellite studio will allow artists who are touring through Nashville to stop in our studio and have important conversations about their music,” said College of Media and Entertainment Dean Beverly Keel. “I am so proud of all that WMOT has accomplished. It is a national success story in the world of public radio stations, and this new studio will allow that good work to continue.”

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee praised the new satellite studio as an extension of the station’s ability to provide MTSU students with real-world training opportunities in a dynamic industry that demands practical skills by its professionals.

“WMOT having a presence in a musical hub like Nashville allows our students to get live production experience in the Music City while maintaining programming capability at the station’s headquarters on our campus,” McPhee said. “The nature of the radio industry requires stations to be nimble and innovative in their approaches, and this satellite studio accomplishes that goal.”

Added University Provost Mark Byrnes: “Our students will have tremendous opportunities to learn from established and upcoming artists and become proficient in the new technology that is being utilized. This will give them invaluable experience as they move on to establish their own professional careers.”

Being ‘where the artists are’

The Nashville satellite location will be used as a remote studio for live performances, production of shows that require artists to be in-studio and the base of operations for WMOT’s exclusive “Wired In” performance series, explained Val Hoeppner, the station’s executive director.

“Being in Nashville is crucial for the future success of WMOT as the largest Americana radio station in the United States,” said Hoeppner. “The satellite broadcast and production studio will allow us to better serve our music community by providing a Nashville base for in-studio performances. … It will allow us to be where the artists are.”

A partnership with the Boedecker Foundation helped in part with the opening of the new satellite studio at the foundation’s collaborative campus. Opened in 2020 and anchored by the Riverside Revival events venue, the campus serves as a modern, affordable space to allow nonprofit organizations to connect and build community.

“The Boedecker Foundation is endlessly grateful to partner with WMOT. Our shared commitment to advancing community well-being through music and education aligns seamlessly,” said BOE Foundation’s Executive Vice President Brianna Healy. “Establishing a studio for WMOT on our campus is a shared dream, years in the making. We are eager to collaborate further.”

Added Hoeppner: “The new studio strengthens our commitment to the music community and makes us accessible to touring and local artists alike. It would not have been possible without the tremendous vision and support of George Boedecker and the BOE Foundation. The Foundation’s investment in both Riverside Revival and WMOT has provided our East Nashville community incredible opportunities to enjoy live music.”

Opportunities for students

Hoeppner said the new studio will also allow WMOT to produce “higher quality audio and video” without borrowing space or moving equipment. The studio will provide space for interviews and production of long-form shows like “The Old Fashioned,” “The Local Brew Hour,” and “Words and Music with Jessie Scott.”

“The studio has a radio desk and small stage with full video lighting, and full video streaming and recording capabilities. We also have a small stage, full backline and microphones to accommodate intimate performances,” Hoeppner said.

Internship opportunities with WMOT are available to students, and the station has about a dozen interns at any given time, giving them real-world opportunities and experiences.

“The new remote studio will offer our radio production, video production, events, and audio student interns the opportunity to work live-in-studio performances and staff show tapings that include performances or interviews,” Hoeppner said.  

The station will continue operating out of its space on MTSU’s campus and be programmed as a “daily journey” without songs repeating in a 24-hour period. It will continue to play 16 songs an hour vs. nine on commercial radio in Nashville.

“We have one focus: Americana music. While the genre is broad, the focus on it cannot be easily found in the Nashville Metro area or the U.S.,” Hoeppner said.

WMOT thanks sponsors Mojave Audio for studio microphones, Fender Guitars for backline amps and electric guitar, and Gallagher Guitar Company of Murfreesboro for a new acoustic guitar to equip the space for music making. 

About WMOT Roots Radio

Founded in 1969, WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 is MTSU’s flagship public radio station dedicated to an all-Americana music format. WMOT provides the Nashville region with a station dedicated to the music most deeply connected to Music City’s legacy: classic country music, bluegrass, singer-songwriter, folk, soul, R&B and old-school rock’ n’ roll. 

WMOT Roots Radio broadcasts regionally to 40 counties over 100,000 watts at 89.5 FM or worldwide at WMOT.org or the WMOT app. The station has studios on the MTSU campus in Murfreesboro and in East Nashville at Riverside Revival.

WMOT also continues to offer award-winning jazz programming on secondary channels — 89.5HD2 and 92.3FM in Rutherford County.

For more information, visit www.wmot.org.

— DeAnn Hays (DeAnn.Hays@mtsu.edu) and Craig Havighurst (Craig.Havighurst@mtsu.edu)