5 things to know about WUTK and the uncertain future of longtime GM Benny Smith

The Knoxville music scene and supporters of WUTK want answers about why longtime general manager Benny Smith is on leave from the college radio station and why specialty programs have been yanked from the air.

Knox News was first to report on the developing situation, which has been the subject of an online rumor mill focused on Smith's absence and the role leaders of a fellow station at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville might have played in his ouster and the broadcast blackout of his supporters' shows.

As supporters strategize their next steps while anticipating the university's, we break down the situation as it stands. Check back regularly at knoxnews.com for the latest developments.

What is Benny Smith's status with WUTK in Knoxville?

A text message from Smith sent to “Six O’Clock Swerve" host Wayne Bledsoe, who then shared it with Knox News, said he is “currently on leave” but that “no job has been terminated.” 

Knox News briefly spoke to Smith at his home the afternoon of July 11. While he declined to comment on his status, he told Knox News he is “laying low.” 

A university spokesperson told Knox News Smith is still employed, but declined to give any details about his role at WUTK.

Is WUTK still on the air? 

You can still tune into the station, but noticeably missing are the specialty shows. Bledsoe told Knox News he was informed a half-hour before his July 11 episode at Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria that “Six O’Clock Swerve” would not air on WUTK (90.3 FM) and that its slot would be filled by generic programming. 

WUTK program Marble City Radio Company posted to Facebook that afternoon that “the university has declared that all non-student DJs are prohibited from doing shifts and specialty shows for the rest of the week."

Derek Senter, co-host of WUTK’s "The Funhouse" on Friday nights, confirmed he received a similar message and said the July 12 edition of his show − more like an impromptu community forum − will move to public access TV on knoxcm.org. Legendary local rock group Superdrag and Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson are expected to appear on the episode.

The WUTK Facebook page was taken down and was not accessible as of 11:30 p.m. July 11.

What has the University of Tennessee said about Benny Smith, WUTK?

UT spokesperson Kerry Gardner told Knox News that Smith is still employed at the university. In response to our follow-up questions about who is overseeing WUTK, Gardner said the university does not comment on “personnel matters.”

On July 2, the UT School of Journalism and Media made a Facebook post congratulating Smith on being named “Knoxvillian of the Year” by Blank Newspaper in its “Best of Knoxville” readers poll, along with congrats for additional recognition the station received in the poll.

What have Benny Smith supporters said about the WUTK situation?

Though “Six O’Clock Swerve" was not broadcast live July 11, supporters stuck around Barley's for a performance by Castle Black. Bookending the live music, Bledsoe and “Funhouse” co-hosts Senter and Rob Levering spoke about the situation. 

"We're going to stoke the fires of this situation to let this university know that they have majorly f----- up," Levering said. 

Smith's job status has been the subject of all sorts of speculation online, and many of his supporters have described it as a dismissal spurred by leadership at WUOT (91.9 FM), a public radio station licensed to the university.

Supporters of Smith are encouraging each other to send minuscule donations to WUOT and to request documentation for their taxes, a strategy they hope will overwhelm the station.

On the afternoon of July 11, The Rock on campus was painted with the message “We <3 Benny VFL.” The hashtag #BringBackBenny has been used in multiple social media posts.

Why is Benny Smith considered important to Knoxville's music scene?

Smith has been a beloved figure in the Knoxville music scene over his decades working at WUTK, according to a 2016 Knox News column by freelancer Lee Zimmerman.

From Greeneville, Tennessee, Smith worked for an AM radio station before attending UT in the 1980s. He started as a student DJ for WUTK as a sophomore in 1985 before becoming a specialty show host. He became the music director in 1986 and then the program director until 1991.

After his initial stint at WUTK, Smith went on to work for WQLA in LaFollette. He helped WDVX get started, worked for AC Entertainment and returned to radio in 2002 at WOKI, where he served as the promotion director until the station sold in 2003. He briefly worked for Metro Pulse, a defunct Knoxville newspaper.

Ashley Capps, founder of AC Entertainment, told Knox News via text Smith has been “a great champion of the Knoxville music scene and college radio for 40 years.”

“THE champion of the local music scene in many ways,” Capps said. 

In 2004, Smith returned to WUTK fulltime. He has been the general manager and program director since then.

In 2016, Smith married Megan Venable, the daughter of Knox News columnist Sam Venable.

Contact Keenan Thomas by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com; Ryan Wilusz by email at ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com.