Josh's Blog

Wednesday, March 21st

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This will be the first of what I hope will be many posts here. It is my hope that I'll be able to update this blog every evening and outline the events of the day. So many people have called and emailed over the past few days, and a great many asked that we keep them updated as things progress. I thought that since blogs were such a big part of our lives these days, this would be a good way to update everyone.

Today has been incredibly busy for us. I'm personally exhausted and it's only 7:30pm. I still have at least a few hours of work before I can turn in for the night. We started our morning working to secure a building permit so that we can start construction on the new building. While it's almost always frustrating to deal with government bureaucracy, it seems that even the paper-pushers in Frankfort are pulling for us. When I learned how long a process it can be to obtain a building permit in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I realized immediately that it wasn't acceptable for us to wait as long as the normal process might take. While I don't feel we are necessarily entitled to special treatment, I do believe our project is important for the community. We cannot begin serving our community again until our new building is finished, and we can't even start until we are square with the Code Enforcement Bureau in Frankfort. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Pineville Mayor Bob Madon, we have permission to begin construction immediately. The folks in Frankfort have been incredibly accommodating, and I appreciate it.

This afternoon, I visited with WYMT Mountain News reporter Jeff Allen. We talked about the tremendous amount of support WANO has received, and discussed the fact that this process is moving MUCH faster than we all expected it to. WYMT was the first news organization to cover the fire, and they have done a tremendous job of reporting our story. I sincerely appreciate Jeff and the folks at WYMT, and I look forward to seeing them there when we sign on again!

Just after I left the WYMT studios, I got a call from another TV station, News Channel 10 WBIR in Knoxville. Emily Stroud asked if she could come up and interview me, and we made arrangements to meet at the WANO site. We spent a great amount of time talking about WANO's history, and about the story of our recovery efforts. As I told Emily, I'm continuously amazed at the mileage this story has gotten. News organizations all over the country have covered it, and it's heartwarming to realize that WANO meant so much to so many people that the news outlets are still covering the story. So many times, newspapers and TV stations will tell viewers and readers about a tragedy, but never follow up. This has NOT been the case with WYMT or WBIR, and I have a whole lot of respect for that. Emily's report will air at 11:00 tonight on News Channel 10 in Knoxville.

Today, my whole outlook has changed. I'm enthusiastic, and I truly feel blessed. Sure, this is a tremendous tragedy. However, we've taken the lemons and made lemonade. All the credit belongs to our community. They are the reason I persevere, and the reason I'm so intent about rebuilding.

Before I head out and round up some much-needed food, there are a few people I need to thank. Bell Concrete and Concrete Products, both of Middlesboro, are supplying materials to build the new building. They have been very helpful and flexible, and have given us great advice. After all, we run radio stations...we aren't in the construction business. Thank you guys. Also, Virginia and Angie at Jim Brown Supply have been amazing. When we need help navigating the crazy world of construction, we call them, and they know the answers. If they happen to not know an answer, they find it. They are also supplying many of the items we'll use in constructing the new building, and Virginia has been so helpful in giving us great prices so that the financial burden is easier for me to bear. Mike Phelps at SCMS (ironically, located in Pineville, North Carolina) has been there for me for a long time when I need help with broadcasting equipment. He and the company owner, Bob Cauthen, have been so good to me this week that I can't express my appreciation enough. They've helped us to get a brand new transmitter and other equipment quickly, and they, too, are being very generous in giving me the best price possible. When faced with a huge loss like this, and particularly considering that I didn't have insurance at this site (all our other sites are insured...however, the underwriter would not accept the risk posed by this structure and location), it's understandably helpful to work with vendors who understand that I'm spending money out of my pocket and that things can be tight. Thank you, guys. I owe you all one.

Finally, on a more personal note, I want to say thank you to Brian O'Brien, my dear friend and the Operations Manager at the radio stations. I don't know how I could do this without him. I also want to say thank you to my mother, Libby Gates, who is the Business Manager at the radio stations. Without her, things truly would fall apart. I love you, mother. Also, I have been blessed with the two most wonderful next-door neighbors I could ask for. John and Teresa were there at the fire as soon as they heard about it on Sunday, and John has worked tirelessly to help me get the remains of the building secured. Teresa has been on the phone helping me make things happen. I think they've practically put their law practice on hold while they help me get through this. I appreciate it, and I'm blessed to have friends like you. Thank you.

I'll check in again tomorrow evening. Same bat time, same bat channel. Watch WBIR and WYMT tonight, and do business with the folks who have been so kind to me. In the meantime, my tummy is growling!

Oh, and here are a few pictures for the road: Emily Stroud from WBIR, touring the WANO site with me.