Springtime is finally here, friends! Just like the flowers and bees, things are blooming and buzzing here around the ‘Shop.
We’re glad you’re here, so take a moment to see what’s been happening and what’s ahead as we step into a season filled with gatherings, creative work, new programs, and community-rooted opportunities beginning to take shape.
WMMT’s Spring Fund Drive, Upcoming Events,
and New Initiatives
A Milestone Year for WMMT, Marked by Community Support and New Beginnings
If you’ve tuned into WMMT 88.7 lately or follow us on social media, you may have heard that the station’s annual Spring Fund Drive started on March 25th and is wrapping up this week on Wednesday, April 8th. For 40 years, WMMT has been a voice of the mountains—amplifying our stories, our music, our struggles, and our strength.
From Whitesburg, Kentucky to communities across the region and beyond, this station has always belonged to you. The Fund Drive may be ending soon, but there’s still time to get involved and do your part to help support your favorite community radio station!
WMMT is Ending this Fund Drive on a Real Bang!
WMMT is hosting a two-part Grand Finale Event on April 9th at their studio in downtown Whitesburg (253A E Main Street)
Starting at 6PM, the festivities will kick off with a Live Mountain Talk featuring poet Annie Woodford, hosted by Parker Hobson.
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Woodford is from Bassett, Virginia, and currently lives in Deep Gap, North Carolina. Her latest book of poems, Peasant, was published in 2025. She has been the recipient of the Thelma Smallwood Scholarship from the Appalachian Writers' Workshop and the Jean Ritchie Fellowship, and most recently, she was part of the poetry anthology Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets on the Helene Flood, proceeds from which go to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
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Then we get the music started with a special Possum Sessions Live! concert just for you, featuring the one and only Luna & the Mountain Jets @ 7PM.
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“A Pepsi Girl in a Coca Cola town” is the best way to describe Luna of Luna and the Mountain Jets. Their music is rooted in stories from her life and experiences. She calls it “Appalachian Rock” as it is a mix of folk stories backed by rock and roll drums and guitars.
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The whole celebration will be broadcasted on the station, of course, BUT we'd love for you to come join us in person and be our live studio audience! As always, this event is FREE and open to the public. Come on out to help us celebrate WMMT, and to let us say thank you to YOU for helping to keep Mountain Community Radio on the air!
40 years strong, and growing!
Strengthening community communication with the Emergency Preparedness Cohort
Despite adversity and a rough year in terms of federal funding, WMMT is 40 years old and still standing strong! They’re still streaming out of beautiful downtown Whitesburg, bringing you your favorite music, shows, and programming. Plus, there are new and innovative projects on the horizon, on top of expanding some of their existing programming. Now is an exciting time to be a part of the Possum Radio community and keep in the loop, so follow along through their newsletter and on social media!
One of these exciting new initiatives is the creation of the WMMT Emergency Preparedness Cohort. The goal of this Cohort is to streamline how we share information between WMMT and groups that provide services in times of need, ensuring quick communication to the community during emergencies.
The cohort will host two quarterly meetings: The first meeting will be geared towards institutions, groups, and individuals that provide aid during times of emergency inside of Letcher County. The second will be a meeting of folks from surrounding counties that are in WMMT’s listening area. Both of these meetings will be open to the public.
In these meetings, we will share and discuss ideas about how information could best be shared in times of emergency. This will include ideas for Public Service Announcements to be released when we know a weather event is coming and after a natural disaster occurs. We also hope to bolster collaboration between groups and curb duplication of efforts through this process.
We believe that it is best to be proactive instead of only reactive. Help us be proactive and keep the safety and wellbeing of our local community at heart by supporting the building of our Emergency Preparedness Cohort!
Please join us for our Letcher County Emergency Preparedness Cohort Meeting on Thursday, April 9th, 2026 at 1:30 PM.
This will be a blended meeting, offering both virtual and in-person attendance. The in-person meeting will take place at the WMMT Studio Space at 253A East Main Street in downtown Whitesburg, KY. The zoom link and information are listed below for virtual attendees.
Topic: WMMT’s Letcher County Emergency Preparedness Cohort
Time: Apr 9, 2026 01:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada), Every 3 months on the Second Thu, 12 occurrence(s)
Zoom Meeting Link: https://go.appalshop.org/e/
Meeting ID: 876 0833 8567 Passcode: 102721
Missed this first meeting but want to be involved? Fill out this registration form so we'll know you're interested! Also, please share this info and form with other people, businesses, and organizations who you think would like to join!
WMMT’s 40th anniversary has been more than a milestone. It’s been a reminder of what’s possible when people come together to build something that truly reflects who we are. Every dollar, every share, every conversation helps keep this work alive. Show your support by donating at wmmt.org/donate. Your support keeps independent Appalachian media thriving—for the next 40 years and beyond!
WMMT and Appalshop thank you for being part of our radio community!
A New Summer Documentary Institute is Coming!
Springtime means summertime is almost here, and we all know what that means: another Summer Documentary Institute is about to begin!
The Appalachian Media Institute (AMI) began accepting applications for the 2026 Summer Documentary Institute (SDI) on April 2, 2026 and applications will remain open until May 3rd.
Since 1988, AMI has provided opportunities for young people from central Appalachia to explore their communities and develop their creative skills through the arts and media. Over the course of this summer, chosen youth (ages 14 to 22) from central Appalachia will explore the basics of video and audio production, view and discuss documentary media, and learn how to produce and distribute meaningful media about community issues and traditions. Youth interns will experience a broad range of workshops on media production, including podcasting, media campaign strategy, digital filmmaking, photography and web-based storytelling taught by regional artists. No previous film or media training or experience is required. We only ask that participants come ready to learn and try new things!
This is a PAID internship for youth who are from and located in Central Appalachia, and are able to meet for the whole duration of the program—June 8th to July 31st— weekly Monday through Thursday during typical working hours in Jenkins, Kentucky. AMI’s working space is located on the second story and IS NOT ADA compliant, as there is no elevator. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. Interns applying should be ready and excited to collaborate with fellow youth interns, AMI staff, Appalshop staff, and regional guest educators!
If this sounds like an opportunity you or a young person you know would enjoy, please apply at www.amiappalshop.org/apply. You can also find more information about AMI’s Summer Documentary Program on our website at www.amiappalshop.org and direct any questions to AMI Program Manager Tommy Anderson at [email protected].
Meet our Newest Team Member, Travis Hall!
Travis Hall joined Appalshop as our Finance Manager on March 18, 2026. A Knott County, Kentucky native, Hall graduated from Morehead State University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s in Accounting and has since built his career in eastern Kentucky.
A listener of our station WMMT FM for over a decade, Travis says he has admired Appalshop and our work for years. When the opportunity to join the team arose, it wasn't a hard decision. He wanted to be part of an organization whose mission and work he believes in.
In his new role, Travis oversees day-to-day financial operations and works alongside staff to support the organization's broader goals. He hopes to help foster sustainable growth and bring transparency to the financial side of things, making sure employees have a clear picture of the organization’s financial health.
Outside of work, Travis is a husband and father of three. When he's not at his kids' sporting events, he can be found playing guitar and banjo, hunting, fishing, playing video games, and watching his favorite sports teams. We’re so happy to have Travis on our team!
Seedtime on the Cumberland 2026
Reminders and ways to lend a helping hand!
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- The deadline to apply to be a vendor is April 10th! If you'd like to vend at Seedtime on either or both June 5th + 6th, submit an application here.
- Give monetary support by becoming a Sponsor! Review our sponsorship packages here if you or a business you know may be interested.
- Seedtime raffles are back this year! Donate art, instruments, gift cards, services, and more to our raffles series. We hope to offer several raffle prize options, as multiple winners is much more fun! There will be no limit to the number of tickets attendees can purchase and attendees may enter as many raffles as they like, though winners must be present when announced to win! Appalshop can provide a tax receipt for your donation(s), depending on value. Email us at [email protected] if interested.
- Share our promotional materials on social media and spread the news to your friends!
Stay tuned for more updates and information! Bookmark our Seedtime 2026 Information Page so you'll always have access to the latest news, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates as well! For further questions, contact the Seedtime Committee at [email protected]. We'll see y'all this June!