Storm damage to satellite receiver may cause brief NPR feed outages this week.
Yesterday afternoon, severe storms in the Chattanooga area caused a power surge that damaged key pieces of equipment essential to our satellite operations. Specifically, our satellite dish was partially damaged, and our satellite receiver, which we use to bring you nationally syndicated programming from NPR, was also affected.
Fortunately, our engineering team was already on campus conducting scheduled maintenance and was able to quickly assess the situation. Thanks to their expertise and quick response, we now have a temporary fix in place that allows us to continue receiving NPR’s satellite feed. However, this interim solution is not without its challenges. It requires constant, around-the-clock monitoring, and we may still experience brief broadcast interruptions until replacement equipment arrives later this week.
We’re grateful that this damage was limited to our satellite feed only. WUTC’s studios and our ability to broadcast local programming were not affected. That means you’ll continue to hear all of our locally produced shows as scheduled.
We apologize in advance for any disruptions you may hear over the next few days. Please know that our team is doing everything possible to ensure consistent service and restore full reliability as soon as possible.
Our small but dedicated team remains committed to bringing you a public radio service that educates, enlightens, and connects communities across Chattanooga and our 45-county region in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina.
We are deeply grateful for your patience and for the continued support of our listeners, donors, members, volunteers, and underwriters. Your generosity is what makes WUTC possible. We could not do this without you.
If you value the role WUTC plays in your life and in our region, please consider making a contribution today. Your support helps keep us resilient and responsive, even in challenging moments.
Thank you for standing with WUTC.
Susan Lazenby
Interim Station Manager
WUTC 88.1 FM
susan-lazenby@utc.edu