How University of Tennessee students are scrambling to keep WUTK on air in 'hectic' times

University of Tennessee at Knoxville students are picking up extra shifts, prerecording radio shows and learning on the fly how to program a station to keep WUTK on the air in the absence of longtime GM Benny Smith and after volunteer community DJs were asked to step aside.

Two people are leading the station through this uncertain time: senior Carter Moore, the station's music co-director, and underwriting and marketing manager Matt Keaton. Keaton, who is a paid nonstudent, handles daily operations at WUTK (90.3 FM) and reports to Jody Hamblett, general manager of WUOT (91.9 FM).

Keaton became the highest-ranking member of WUTK once the College of Communication and Information announced Smith's retirement July 15 .

Specialty program hosts Rob Levering and Derek Senter said during Smith's administrative leave that their show " The Funhouse " was volunteer-led because students did not want to work Friday nights. Now that volunteers are no longer allowed on the airwaves , students are scrambling to pick up the slack at a time when many of their peers are home for the summer.

"I've done most of the programming, just because I felt more comfortable, but we've both learned how to do it and we're keeping up, trying to stay a few days ahead," Moore told Knox News. "We're still just trying to keep business as usual as much as possible."

Keeping WUTK on the air despite 'hectic' transition

Senior student DJ Seth Harper has filled slots in the absence of volunteers. In addition to his weekly specialty show, "Kill Ugly Radio," which plays classic rock deep cuts on Wednesdays, Harper is helping to host "Y'all-Ternative," also on Wednesdays, and "The Gold Standard Hip Hop Show" on Sundays.

Harper has done extra voice tracking to help the station and is enjoying expanding his wheelhouse with music outside his normal genre of choice. But that doesn't negate the fact these are difficult times for WUTK.

"I think that Carter and Matt having to learn on the fly how to program made things really hectic," Harper said. "Plus, with it being the middle of the summer, a lot of the students are gone. And for only a handful of students to run the whole thing and keep it running makes it rather hectic."

Knox News is awaiting answers from university spokesperson Kerry Gardner about the evolving situation at WUTK , including who made the decision to pull speciality programs and sever ties with volunteer DJs.

Other questions posed to Gardner include:

• Why did the university decide to embark on these changes to the structures that had been in place for so long?
• Why did Smith's plan for retirement require him being on leave from the station?
• What sort of data was incorporated into the decisions about programming, such as audience analytics?

With the summer's uncertainty, Harper is encouraging listeners to refrain from feeding the wildfire of speculation surrounding WUTK and Smith's retirement. Harper has dreamed about being a DJ at the station since he began listening to WUTK as a kid, and he's doing what he can to keep that dream going as he finishes up school.

"I am truly, truly blessed to have two times in the workweek that I look forward to: One being the weekend, and one is when I go in at 10 p.m. every week with my best friend and play music that I love," Harper said. "I'm truly blessed to do that, and I can't do that without the support of our underwriters and of our sponsors and for the local Knoxville community."

Students try to maintain business as usual

Moore said his main goal is to stay on the air and that staff can "keep figuring everything else out" as the station moves forward. That includes relying on newer voices, such as senior student DJ Devin-Marie Ogier, who joined WUTK over the summer with live shifts 2-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

"I knew it was kind of stressful, but everyone was still kind of in good spirits," Ogier said. "I was just offering if they needed anything or any help that I'd be here. They've just been really supportive of what I've been doing. And even previously, Benny was super supportive and just giving me great guidance, and I think that has continued on with the new management."

Harper believes the station could bring back volunteer DJs as mentors while giving students freedom in running the station through a more "democratic" process. Upon announcing Smith's retirement, College of Communication and Information Dean Joe Mazer said "we don’t anticipate utilizing volunteers in the same way" but that the college is working to bring back volunteers in some capacity.

"This place means everything to me because it is what Benny made it, and all I ever want to do is to make sure that I keep that spirit, that impact going however I can," Moore said.

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real .

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How University of Tennessee students are scrambling to keep WUTK on air in 'hectic' times