August 5, 2026

Welcome to WUTC's Newsletter! From your community public radio station in Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley. Follow us at wutc.org — and the WUTC app.

Donate

Dear Friends Of WUTC,

What a whirlwind of a summer! In the heat of vacations, we've been working hard for you: attending the Public Media Growth Conference in Chicago, moving into temporary offices at UTC as renovations continue at our location at 540 McCallie, and working on the beginning of engineering upgrades to keep us on air with fewer interruptions. We have lots of new ideas to serve you better and get your feedback.

July marked one year since WUTC lost its federal funding. This loss deeply impacts our station as a continued shortfall of 20% of our operating budget. Since this funding loss is ongoing, we need your support. As you listen to WUTC, please visit wutc.org to make a gift to help us bring you the programs you love. Thank you.

- Susan Lazenby, General Manager, WUTC

**While in Chicago, Team WUTC toured The Studebaker Theater, where "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!" is recorded.**

Join Us For Coffee This Month!

Here's your chance to greet the staff - and meet the voices - of WUTC.

Please stop by our next morning monthly coffee meetup on Thursday, August 27th from 8 AM to 10 AM - once again, at Shredders' Lair at 3230 Brainerd Road in Chattanooga.

Coffee, conversation and your public radio station - a blend for you.

Details here. See you there!

Fall Jazz For WUTC: Benny Green At UTC

Tickets are now on sale for "UTC Live! Presents Benny Green" - this fall's jazz benefit concert with all proceeds supporting WUTC.

Pianist Benny Green will perform in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall in the UTC Fine Arts Center on Thursday, September 17th at 7:30 PM.

While Green performs solo and with his own trio in recent years, he has toured and performed with numerous jazz greats - including Betty Carter, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, the Freddie Hubbard Quintet, Ray Brown's trio - was featured in a duet with Diana Krall on her Grammy-winning "All For You" album and recorded the two piano "Oscar and Benny" album with Oscar Peterson.

Buy your tickets here - and support WUTC.

Bring On The Bluegrass

This fall, the world's premier bluegrass event returns to Chattanooga for a second year - with WUTC as the official public radio partner.

The IBMA's World of Bluegrass is Tuesday, October 20th through Saturday, October 24th.

With the lineups of artists and events already taking shape, we're looking to bringing the bluegrass to you: on air, online and in the community.

Check out our IBMA coverage - past and upcoming - here.

Latest Must-Listens

Echoes of Chattanooga's Past: For this year's commemoration of America 250, listen to a dozen poetic monologues crafted from oral histories of Chattanoogans born in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
The Parkside Podcast: Investing In Tennessee's Outdoors: Tennessee State Senator and UTC alum Bo Watson joins Ray Bassett of Scenic Roots, Karen Shostak of Hamilton County's Department Parks and Recreation and Brian Smith of the City of Chattanooga's Parks and Outdoors.
DJ For An Hour: Rick Govan's America 250 Musical Roadtrip: Rick Govan of Chattanooga, a UTC alum, shows his support for WUTC by bringing his America 250 playlist to this live "DJ For An Hour" session, produced by Clark Gibson.
Live In The Library: The Prickly Pair: Mason Summit and Irene Greene, the angsty Americana duo who perform as The Prickly Pair, join Clark Gibson for this session, recorded at the downtown Chattanooga Public Library.

Meet Paul Jorgensen!

For Paul Jorgensen, the favorite thing about hosting his show Chord Drift on WUTC is this:

"Having a conversation with the listener, mostly through music, is the best. I love sharing fresh tracks and also spinning something from my collection that might be a discovery for them."

As WUTC's tech in residence with an extensive background in IT and cybersecurity, Paul also handles the station's digital operations, broadcast technology, transmitter troubleshooting with our engineers ... and that's only scratching the surface.

Get to know Paul here: wutc.org/pauljorgensen

Tickets! Tickets! Tickets!

WUTC is offering two pairs of tickets to see blues guitarist and singer Christone "Kingfish" Ingram on Thursday, November 12th at The Signal in Chattanooga.

Enter your chance to win here: Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

For all WUTC tickets and giveways, visit: wutc.org/tickets

Giving Matters

WUTC is supported by donors who care about nonbiased news, local music and connection to our community.

Additional philanthropic support helps us sustain the programming you’ve come to depend on.

One way to give is through a donor-advised fund, or DAF, that allows your charitable dollars to be set aside and distributed over time.

Recommending a gift to WUTC through your DAF is a simple and meaningful way to ensure your public radio station stays strong here in Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.

For ways to give to WUTC, visit: wutc.org/support