Hello, New WMMT Studio!

We are proud to share that WMMT-FM is moving into their new studio at 253A E. Main Street in downtown Whitesburg. Although the Possum Den, WMMT’s mobile radio station built into an RV, has been a reliable fixture since the 2022 floods, the radio team has been hard at work finding a studio space more suited to the station’s needs. Phase I of construction is complete, meaning a more spacious studio and community space is officially open for DJs and visitors. The main studio is spacious and outfitted with four microphones, two turntables, a cassette player to accommodate our cherished collection of tapes, and more, meaning more on-air guests, performances, and unique programming. The production room will be used to record live acts and serve as an alternate space for our main studio when upgrades are being made to the main space. And, at long last, WMMT has a DJ library and listening room, meaning DJs can expect resources and space to make their show offerings even stronger. 

Want to catch the new studio in action? WMMT will be christening the space during their Spring Fund Drive—the Possum Palooza Spring Fund Drive and Bazaar; a circus-themed celebration of the new studio and fundraiser to help support the station’s sustainability and next phase of construction, which includes another production space outfitted for podcast recording, additional office space, and an engineering room. The Spring Fund Drive runs March 27–April 9, and will have a grand finale bash in-person at the new studio, more details coming soon. We will officially be transitioning to the new space on the last day of our drive, April 9! You can learn more about all of the events of the fund drive by following WMMT’s Facebook page and RSVPing to the Fund Drive here. 

Are you a business looking to donate a service or good for WMMT to raffle off during the fund drive finale event? Contact [email protected].  

Want to host your own show on WMMT’s airwaves? Contact [email protected] for more information—WMMT is powered by community, and is regularly offering training to new DJs.  

The Possum Den has been a faithful servant, but this is not actually goodbye. The mobile studio will be hitting the road this summer, visiting local and regional festivals, and bringing the energy of the best little radio station in the W-H-I-R-L-E-D directly to you. 

Appalshop and the Appalachian Media Institute are proud to announce the release of Hannah Adams Asbury’s Through Their Own Lens, a new film celebrating AMI's 37-year legacy of empowering rural youth through media production, highlighting the program’s transformative impact on the region and its participants while showcasing the power of creativity and self-expression.

Since 1988, the Appalachian Media Institute has empowered hundreds of young Appalachians to express themselves and uplift their communities through documentary filmmaking. In 2023, AMI turned the cameras around on themselves to capture the history and legacy of this impactful program. Through Their Own Lens will premiere on the Appalshop YouTube page on Monday, March 17th at 9:30 AM.

Speaking of AMI, Appalshop is proud to announce that Heritage on a Plate, a film created in our 2024 Summer Documentary Institute cohort, has won the Jack Spadaro Short Documentary Film Award from the Appalachian Studies Association. Heritage was produced by Colin Amburgey, Tucker Mason, and Wolfgang Gunnar Miles, and showcases Appalachian farmers, chefs, and gardeners as they walk viewers through the process of growing, cooking, and serving Appalachia’s most iconic meals and the importance they serve in the community. 

The award will be formally presented at the Opening Ceremony of the Appalachian Studies Association Conference on Thursday, March 20, at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee. We couldn’t be prouder of Colin, Tucker, and Wolfgang, and the entirety of the AMI team. Celebrate with us by watching Heritage on a Plate for free on our Youtube page.