The “birthplace of country music” straddles the Tennessee-Virginia state line in the city of Bristol. The town honors that history with a museum, and as of Aug. 27, will have its own LPFM station.
WBCM(LP) Radio Bristol will operate out of a new media center in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
WBCM will focus on the “region’s events, artists, history and assist in the resurgence of the downtown Bristol area’s community and economic development,” according to Radio Program Manager Tony Lawson.
The station says it will also offer three different audio streams: WBCM will stream the same content as the local broadcast channel; Radio Bristol Classic will showcase the 1927 Bristol Sessions, spanning Old Time String bands, Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel genres; and Radio Bristol Americana will play roots and Americana music artists that are featured at the annual September Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival.
Lawson says they will also produce and present their own shows, such as Radio Bristol Sessions, which will feature live performances in the 100-seat performance theater and in the retro on-air performance studio.
WBCM will also honor its heritage by using a refurbished Raytheon Model RC-10 console, built by Jim Gilmore.
Additionally, Video Bristol is a video-on-demand channel that will primarily highlight the station’s own productions in the museum and on the road at regional events.
