Press Release from 90.3 FM WUTK “the Rock”
90.3 FM WUTK “THE ROCK” at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will host BBC Introducing in America launching this Friday, Dec. 5. The new program will air on the first Friday of every month at 5 p.m.
WUTK, selected by BBC as the host station in Tennessee, will feature other Tennessee college radio stations, starting with WRVU – Vanderbilt University on the Dec. 5 show.
The new program will see BBC Introducing join forces with college radio stations, initially in Tennessee, to support upcoming artists and their music, with the intention of expanding to more states across America in the future.
“At WUTK, developing the next generation of broadcasters and supporting independent artists are core to our mission. Partnering with BBC Introducing in America brings those values to life in an extraordinary way, creating meaningful opportunities for students, elevating new talent from Tennessee, and connecting our local music community to an international audience,” CCI Radio Director Jody Hamblett said. “We are honored to be part of this launch and proud that our students will help lead this exciting new chapter for college radio.”
Each BBC Introducing in America show will spotlight local, independent artists from Tennessee, and will also feature an artist from the UK, giving up-and-coming UK acts a platform in the US. New musicians and artists from Tennessee will be able to submit their music to the College Radio Foundation’s site to have a chance to get their track played on the radio.
The first UK artist to be spotlighted on BBC Introducing in America will be Nectar Woode, who was first supported by BBC Introducing in 2022 and performed on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury in 2025.
Introducing in America on WUTK will be presented by UT students Sherleen Mwaura, a senior majoring in music business administration and minoring in Africana studies, and Cade Beasley, a senior majoring in journalism and electronic media, with minors in political science and advertising/public relations.
“I’m incredibly grateful to co-host the first BBC Introducing in America show and pour into the local live music space!” Mwaura said. “This community allows me to help champion emerging artists, create opportunities for their voices to be heard, and support the stories that deserve a platform.”
“I’m so excited to get the opportunity to be a part of the first BBC Introducing show in the U.S. If you told me a year ago I would be doing this, I’d call you a liar,” said Beasley.
Since its inception in 2007, BBC Introducing has seen a continual growth of independent artists submitting their music to the BBC Introducing Uploader. BBC Introducing in America will offer the opportunity to support new and undiscovered talent on an international level, responding to the rise of independent musicians from across the globe, as well as continuing to promote and support artists from the UK, offering a new global platform for their music.
“College radio in the USA continues to play an important role in discovering and championing new music, so partnering with BBC Introducing in America is an excellent and exciting opportunity for us. It will give our student presenters an incredible, unprecedented experience!” said Rob Quicke, founder of the College Radio Foundation.
BBC Introducing in America will be available to listen to on Dec. 5 on 90.3 FM WUTK “THE ROCK” at 5 p.m. and will stream at wutkradio.com and collegeradio.org.