WUTK RADIO

What WUTK RADIO does

WUTK Radio (90.3 THE ROCK Volunteer Radio) is a student-run, volunteer-based college radio station licensed to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, broadcasting at 90.3 FM since 1982. The station produces alternative rock programming alongside three specialized editorial departments: the Music Department (concert reviews, album coverage, and weekly charts), Rock Solid Sports (Tennessee Volunteers athletics coverage across football, baseball, basketball, softball, golf, and soccer), and the News Department's weekly news magazine Beyond the Hill, which is also distributed as a podcast on Spotify. Content is delivered over-the-air across the Knoxville market and globally via an MP3 stream hosted on the StreamTheWorld platform, with the website (wutkradio.com) serving as the hub for schedules, articles, and donation links.

The station operates as a non-commercial educational broadcaster under an FCC license, monetized through local underwriting sponsorships, listener donations (including a dedicated 40 for 40 infrastructure campaign targeting transmitter and tower upgrades), vehicle and property donations, and Kroger Rewards enrollment rather than commercial advertising sales. Its audience consists of two primary segments: UT Knoxville students seeking music discovery and hands-on broadcasting experience, and the broader Knoxville community interested in local news, sports coverage, and live event promotion. WUTK maintains partnerships with BBC Introducing in America, the Bijou Theatre, Hi-Wire Brewing, The Mill & Mine, and The Open Chord, and participates in festival coverage and ticket giveaways for Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees, Big Ears, and Hangout Music Fest.

Governance is led by General Manager and Program Director Benny Smith, supported by student department heads including Music Director Sam Hastings and Co-Music Director Carter Moore. The station has been recognized as Knoxville's Best Radio Station by Blank News Knoxville's Finest Awards for seven consecutive years through 2022, with additional awards for Best Radio Personality (Derek & Rob), Best Sports Talk Show (Rock Solid Sports), and Best Knoxvillian (Benny Smith).

Name

WUTK RADIO

Legal name

WUTK 90.3 THE ROCK Volunteer Radio

Website

https://wutkradio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WUTK Radio (90.3 THE ROCK) is a student-run, volunteer-based college radio station licensed to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, broadcasting alternative rock, local news, and Tennessee Volunteers sports coverage to the Knoxville market and a global online stream.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Radio Networks (Format-Based) (MPABABAF), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• College radio station
• FM broadcasting services
• Music journalism coverage
• Campus news programming
• Sports talk radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Underwriting/Sponsorships: Local businesses and organizations sponsor programming segments, providing revenue in exchange for on-air recognition and promotional mentions.
2. Listener Donations: The station accepts direct monetary donations through its website and dedicated fundraising campaigns, such as the 40 for 40 campaign for transmitter and tower upgrades.
3. Vehicle/Property Donations: The station accepts vehicle donations (cars, trucks, vans, boats) as tax-deductible contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WUTK Radio (90.3 THE ROCK Volunteer Radio) is a volunteer-driven, student-run college radio station at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, broadcasting alternative rock music programming on 90.3 FM with online MP3 streaming. The station produces specialized content including the Beyond the Hill weekly news magazine, Rock Solid Sports coverage of Tennessee Volunteers athletics, and music journalism covering local Knoxville venues and national acts.

Product overview

WUTK Radio (90.3 THE ROCK Volunteer Radio) is a college radio station operated by students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The station operates as a traditional broadcast radio station with a core FM broadcasting product complemented by online streaming capabilities. The station's content portfolio includes several specialized departments: a Music Department covering live concerts, album reviews, and artist interviews; a News Department producing the 'Beyond the Hill' weekly news magazine; and a Rock Solid Sports department covering University of Tennessee athletics. Additional offerings include music charts, underwriting services for local businesses, and various programming schedules available online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 90.3 FM Radio Broadcasting WUTK operates as a traditional FM broadcast radio station at 90.3 MHz, transmitting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus. The station provides live alternative rock music programming to listeners across the Knoxville metropolitan area.
• WUTK Online Streaming The station provides live MP3 stream access via the StreamTheWorld platform, allowing listeners to tune in online from anywhere in the world. The stream URL is hosted at playerservices.streamtheworld.com.
• Beyond the Hill News Magazine A student-produced weekly news magazine program covering campus events, freedom of speech issues, international student perspectives, and faculty matters. Published in audio format with availability on Spotify for on-demand listening.
• Underwriting Services Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities for local businesses and organizations seeking to support the station in exchange for on-air recognition and promotional mentions, as permitted under FCC regulations for non-commercial educational stations.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BBC Introducing in AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWUTK became part of BBC Introducing in America, a historic debut for the station. This partnership allows WUTK to feature BBC Introducing content and potentially share local artists with the BBC network.
• UT Sports (Tennessee Volunteers)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStation provides comprehensive coverage of Tennessee Volunteers athletics including football, baseball, basketball, and other sports through its Rock Solid Sports department.
• Hi-Wire BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHi-Wire Brewing's South Knoxville taproom at Sevier Avenue and Barber Street served as the official location for Volunteer football viewing parties.
• Bijou TheatreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHistoric Bijou Theatre on Gay Street partners with WUTK for concert coverage and promotion of shows.
• The Mill & MineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMill & Mine venue collaborates with WUTK for concert event coverage and artist interviews.
• The Open ChordminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Knoxville music venue where WUTK covers live music events.
• Big Ears FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWUTK provides coverage and interviews from the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville.
• Bonnaroo Music and Arts FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStation partners with Bonnaroo for festival ticket giveaways and promotion.
• Shaky Knees FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStation partners with Shaky Knees Festival for concert ticket giveaways.
• Hangout Music FestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStation promotes Hangout Festival and offers ticket giveaways to listeners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WUOG 90.5 FM (University of Georgia): University of Georgia's student-run college radio station with an alternative/free-format lean. Compares closely to WUTK in scale, programming philosophy, and revenue structure.
• WKNC 88.1 FM (NC State University): NC State's student-operated college radio station with a similar alternative rock and community programming mix. Comparable in operating size, audience focus on a major university market, and use of underwriting/donations for revenue.
• WHRB 95.3 FM (Harvard Radio Broadcasting): Harvard's student-run college radio with classical and rock format programming. Similar volunteer-staffed, university-owned structure, though typically larger reach and more substantial funding from its parent institution.
• KXLU 88.9 FM (Loyola Marymount University): Loyola Marymount's student-run college radio with an eclectic/free-form music mix. Closely comparable scale, volunteer staff, university ownership, and FCC non-commercial educational license status.
• WRVU (Vanderbilt University): Vanderbilt's college radio station and WUTK's most geographically proximate peer in Tennessee. Highly comparable mission, university ownership, and historical programming mix; serves as an instructive case study for college radio's dependence on institutional support.
• WPRK 91.5 FM (Rollins College): Rollins College's student-run community/college radio station with an alternative format and underwriting-driven revenue. Directly comparable to WUTK in format and operating model, though from a smaller private college.
• KCSB 91.9 FM (UC Santa Barbara): UC Santa Barbara's student-run community radio station with format-based programming and underwriting-driven funding. Highly comparable to WUTK in mission, structure, and the role of student volunteers.
• KVRX 91.7 FM (University of Texas at Austin): Student-run college radio at UT Austin with a community/free-form programming structure. Directly comparable to WUTK in scale, volunteer staffing model, public-university ownership, and alternative-format focus.
• WXYC 89.3 FM (UNC Chapel Hill): University of North Carolina's student-run college radio station with a similar eclectic/free-form alternative rock format. Most direct comparability: comparable scale, similar volunteer-driven student staff, equivalent niche format positioning, and parallel revenue model (underwriting + donations via a state university).

Regional players

• WUTZ 88.3 FM (University of the South / Sewanee): A smaller Tennessee-based college/community radio station serving a different regional audience. Less directly comparable than flagship college rock stations, but relevant as a Tennessee-region peer showing the density of college radio operations in WUTK's home state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WUTKTheRock
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wutk90.3therock2
• Facebookfacebook.com/wutkfm
• Instagraminstagram.com/wutktherock
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wutk-radio

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WUTK RADIO