In his 37 years on air, Joe Elmore, host and founder of Tennessee Crossroads, was one of the most-watched faces on Nashville PBS (WNPT). He covered nearly every nook and cranny of Tennessee, connecting with viewers through his humor, kindness and fervent love of the state. After Elmore's death in June of last year, producers Laura Faber, Vicki Yates and Miranda Cohen, under the guidance of senior producer Ed Jones, filled in for Joe and continued to bring audiences inside the hidden parts of Tennessee’s vast communities.
And now, enter a new host: lifelong storyteller, longtime Tennessee Crossroads watcher and Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor. “This is a show that I have been a viewer of for a couple decades now, and the programming is right up my alley,” says Secor. “It’s all about the skills, stories and cultural touchstones that make the Volunteer State one of the most unique places in the U.S.”
Ketch Secor
Uplifting a Legacy
Since Tennessee Crossroads' inception, Elmore imbued the show with a legacy of rigorous storytelling, which Secor intends to build upon. The show will, of course, continue to highlight local favorites, rather than the top search results on Tripadvisor. And it will also feature Secor’s fresh voice. “Weaving these stories together is a true honor, because we’re telling the stories of the mom-and-pops,” says Cohen. “We don’t go to chains. We don’t go to places that have PR departments. We really find the hidden gems that are buried throughout Tennessee.”
Show producers say Secor, whom Jones calls a “born entertainer” and “natural poet,” will leverage his musical background to tell thorough, heartfelt stories in a new format. “A lot of songwriting is about reaching out beyond your own boundaries and finding commonality with others,” says Secor. “I think the TV show is going to be a pretty simple leap, because I’m already in the habit of telling stories that aren’t my own and making them mine — and ultimately, making them the listener’s.”
Secor admits Tennessee has been the guiding force behind much of his original music. “Even in his new solo album, he’s singing about Nashville,” says Faber. “That is … what we do on a daily basis, every time we go into a story.”
Joe Elmore
Impacting Backyard Communities
While Tennessee Crossroads segments are entertaining, they aren’t solely meant to amuse. They uplift small businesses and help entrepreneurs, artisans and employees put food on the table. “We’re not just inviting Tennesseans to explore their own backyards,” says Ketch. “Folks from across the South are being encouraged to come see what makes Tennessee such a special place that’s worth visiting again and again.”
This reimagining of Tennessee Crossroads comes at a crucial time, when supporting public media has become increasingly important. In mid-July, the U.S. Congress approved a $9 billion federal funding cut for public broadcasting. While this decision impacts PBS and NPR on a national level, local affiliates will also bear the consequences.
“It’s unfortunate we’re in a national narrative right now that skews public media in a light that, if you look at the local level, is not reflective of who we are,” says Becky Magura, CEO and president of WNPT.
Ketch Secor in The Caverns
What We Can Do
Despite stepping in at an uncertain time, Secor is using his platform to showcase how local communities can support the public media outlets that serve them. “I made my television debut as a sixth-grader in Virginia, answering phone calls for a PBS telethon,” says Secor. “Ever since then, I’ve known the unique role that public television plays, particularly in rural places. It’s often the only weather, news and information source in a region, and it’s something that belongs to all of us collectively.”
Magura has encouraged supporters to donate, become members and watch their favorite programs on the free PBS app. “We’re going to have a challenge to replace this money, but I feel confident that the public will be with us,” she says, adding that she trusts the local station isn’t going anywhere. In fact, Magura intends to expand Tennessee Crossroads’ viewership in bordering states and further the production of vital children’s programming. “Public television has always been that trusted, reliable partner in raising a generation of citizens,” she says.
Much like Tennessee Crossroads, WNPT’s goal is to educate local communities about what’s happening nationwide — and to showcase our local communities to the rest of the country. “I love the fact that we truly are the public’s media,” says Magura. “We are here to, in rural communities, be that public safety infrastructure, where they learn of things that are happening outside — but also [to] take their voice and reflect it back out into the state and the federal landscape.”
To help support WNPT, visit wnpt.org/support-npt.
This article was first published by our sister publication, Nfocus.
