2016 was nothing short of incredible for Radio Bristol. We are thrilled to have completed our first year on the air!
2016 marked the launch of our online player with four channels, Radio Bristol Classic, Americana, WBCM-LP, Radio Bristol Video, and our mobile app (please download if you haven’t already!). Throughout 2016 we have continued building out a distinct music library, supplementing with songs from our live Radio Bristol Sessions, as well as our ticketed series including Radio Bristol Premieres and our marquis program Farm and Fun Time. Farm and Fun Time has been a huge success selling out consistently since its launch. We’ve had many world class artists including Larry Sparks, the Foghorn Stringband, Hot Rize, Indigo Girls, and more. We hope you will continue to join us for these special shows throughout the year.
In total we have recorded and broadcast over 120 sessions throughout the year, most of which have been added to our music library and Radio Bristol Video. We took Radio Bristol on the road to numerous festivals around the country including Merlefest, Americana Music Association, and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass. We’ve launched many new programs including our daily morning show “On the Sunny Side,” “The Honky Tonk Hit Parade” with Bailey George, legendary record collector Joe Bussard’s “Country Classics,” and “Born in the Mountain” with Ivy Sheppard, to name a few.
Most importantly Radio Bristol has had an overwhelming amount of support from our listeners. We are beyond excited about what lays ahead for 2017 and wanted to share some of upcoming plans.
What can you expect for the first quarter of 2017? Lots of new programming! We will be launching at least 8 new programs in the next few months with a diverse range of genre and focus. A few highlights include “Over the Waves” featuring Dr. Lee Bidgood, a Professor in the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Oldtime, and Country Music Studies Program, former NPR producer and reporter Paul Brown’s regionally based program “Across the Blue Ridge,” two new bluegrass programs including “Grass Cuttin’ Time” and “Pick One with Larry and Tim!,” and the “Farm and Fun Time Noon Show” featuring the Po Ramblin’ Boys. The “Farm and Fun Time Noon Show” will serve as an extension of our successful monthly program by mirroring the original Farm and Fun Time from the 1940’s. Expect jingles, humor, and fun from our live in-studio house band Po Ramblin’ Boys.
This just scratches the surface of plans for 2017 but we wanted to catch you up and thank you for your ongoing support and for helping us spread the word about Radio Bristol. As you’ve probably noticed, Radio Bristol is radio unlike any other and people globally are taking notice. It’s something of which we are very proud.
We at Radio Bristol are proud to represent our region and none of it would be possible without you. Thank you for an exciting and fruitful first year on the air! Hold on tight because 2017 is going to be a wild ride!
Radio Bristol is entirely listener and community supported. Your donations go a long way to helping us stay on the air. Click here to learn how you can support Radio Bristol to help us provide our unique programming for generations to come!
~ Kris Truelsen, Radio Bristol Producer