WCTE's Podcast

Becky Magura and Hal Harder take you behind the scenes for insider anecdotes and stories from the producers, directors, performers, scientists, journalists, singers and stars who create your favorite PBS programs. The four-part series, the Mysteries of Mental Illness, traces the evolution of this complex topic, presents the science and gives voice to Americans across a spectrum of experiences.  Behind the Scenes chats with Denise Dilanni, the Senior Executive in Charge for Content Development, about the series and the challenges involved in filming it.

Becky Magura and Hal Harder take you behind the scenes for insider anecdotes and stories from the producers, directors, performers, scientists, journalists, singers and stars who create your favorite PBS programs. Since ecologist Rodrigo Medellin first kept bats in his bathroom as a child, he has dedicated his life to saving them. The NATURE documentary, The Batman of Mexico, narrated by David Attenborough, tells the story of Dr. Medelin's efforts to save these bats from extinction, and to prove that bats are not only our friends, but are even crucial to agave crops that produce tequila. Catch the interview with the charming, funny and dedicated Batman himself on this episode of Behind The Scenes.

Becky Magura and Hal Harder take you behind the scenes for insider anecdotes and stories from the producers, directors, performers, scientists, journalists, singers and stars who create your favorite PBS programs. Listen to stories and clips, plus an entertaining conversation with the strong, funny and down-to-earth Wynonna Judd and her producer/husband, Cactus Moser.

Get Ready To Learn" Weekly radio show, hosted by Cindy Putman, a partnership between Putnam County Schools System, WCTE Central TN PBS, and Zimmer Broadcasting - Saturday mornings @ 9:30 on 107.7 and 1400 The Hub. Each week Putman explores educational topics to help families navigate their child's educational experience. Today's show topic: Decodable books, how to order them, and how to use them to build literacy skills!

Online screening and panel discussion on May 11th at 6:00 PM CST. In 1975, Ted Ngoy, “The Donut King,” arrived in the United States, by way of Camp Pendleton, as a refugee escaping the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. At the start of his new American life, Ngoy parlayed opportunity and hard work into the purchase of his first donut shop in Orange County, California. The success of the donut shop allowed for the opening of new locations, and the ability to extend a helping hand to fellow Cambodian refugees.

Join Tennessee Tech President, Dr. Phil Oldham, when he sits down with the Dean of the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing, Kimberley Hanna, and the Director of the Department of Health Services, Leigh Ann Ray, to discuss how the school has provided proper training to current nursing students along with keeping faculty, staff, and students safe during the COVID-19 pandemic at Tennessee Tech.

The season finale of One on One with Becky Magura features one of our own Upper Cumberland Legislators.  Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton of Crossville, was elected as the 83rd Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2019.  Known as a pragmatic conservative, the eighth generation Tennessean is currently in his fifth term serving the 25th House District.

Join Tennessee Tech President, Dr. Phil Oldham, when he sits down with the College of Business Dean, Dr. Thomas Payne, and associate professor, Dr. Edwin Baidoo, to discuss all things money and business analytics.

Dr. Cephas Ablakwa speak with Hon. Amy Hollars, General Attorney Bryant Dunaway, and Public Defender Craig Fickling about the newest Indie Lens Screening of Philly D.A.  In 2017, Philadelphia had one of the highest incarceration rates of any major city in the United States. And it’s become the epicenter of a historic experiment that could shape the future of prosecution in America for decades to come. When civil rights attorney Larry Krasner mounted a long shot campaign to become District Attorney—and won—he pledged to end mass incarceration by changing the culture of the criminal justice system from within. With unprecedented access to Krasner’s office, Philly D.A. explores over the course of eight episodes the most pressing social issues of our time—police brutality, the opioid crisis, gun violence, and mass incarceration—through the lens of one man attempting fundamental overhaul from within the system.

Join Dr. Cephas Ablakwa with Dr. James C. Gray MD, Dr. Derek Cashman, and Dr. Carla Hurt as they discuss the documentary "The Gene" by Ken Burns. This documentary weaves together science, history, and personal stories to create a historical biography of the human genome. It tells the story of the rapid evolution of genetic science from Gregor Mendel’s groundbreaking experiment in the 19th century to CRISPR, and the hope that newfound powers to alter DNA with pinpoint precision will transform the treatment of some of the world’s most complex and challenging diseases.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with the Former US Congressman Bob Clement to talk about his experiences growing up as the son of a governor, as well as his own career path and the fascinating folks he has met along the way.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with American television news correspondent and CBS Sunday Morning Producer, Ms. Martha Teichner, to talk about her background and the release of her book titled, "When Harry Met Minnie."

Dr. Cephas Ablakwa hosts a live panel discussion with Mr. Mark Burnett and Dr. Krystal Akehinmi following the virtual screening of Mr. SOUL! In 1968, America’s first Black variety show, “SOUL!,” helmed by producer and host Ellis Haizlip, premiered on public television. The pioneering series ran for five years, cementing itself as not only a vehicle to celebrate African American artistry, community, and culture but also as a platform for political expression and a powerful force in the fight for social justice.

Dr. Cephas Ablakwa hosts a live panel discussion following an Indie Lens Pop-Up virtual screening of Coded Bias, a troubling investigation into the algorithms that shape our lives. The panelists include Dr. Gerold Gannod, Professor and Chair; Machine Learning, Dr. Doug Talbert, Associate Professor and Machine Learning Expert, and April Crockett, Lecturer and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Join Tennessee Tech President, Dr. Phil Oldham, when he sits down with the Dean of Engineering, Dr. Joe Slater, and Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Pingen Chen, to discuss their commitment to scientific research and the training of engineering professionals, specifically in research on electric vehicles. Learn how Tennessee Tech and Nissan are partnering together to focus on innovation. 

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Dr. Carl Owens to talk about his childhood, his career as an Educator and his plans for retirement.

Join Cindy Putnam as she shares the BEST Groups in the Putnam County Schools and get ready to learn!

Join Tennessee Tech President, Dr. Phil Oldham, when he sits down with Dr. Amanda Powell to talk about all the great work going on in the Tennessee Tech's iCube lab along with Mr. Michael Aikens who discusses all the great work the Center for Rural Innovation is working on at Tennessee Tech.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with retired U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander to pay tribute to his long tenure in public service including serving as the Governor of Tennessee from 1979-1987 and who worked tirelessly on bills as a U.S. Senator that not only impacted Tennesseans but also our entire country which included the "Great American Outdoors Act," one of the most important and significant conservation and outdoor recreation legislation in 50 years.

On the next "Now That's A Good Question with Phil Oldham," President Oldham's featured guests will be Darron Smith, Tennessee Tech Dean of Agriculture and Human Ecology, along with Michael Best, a professor of agriculture who is well known for work with tomatoes and heirloom beans. The two guests will talk about the future of agriculture and how their work and leadership is helping students to pursue careers. You'll learn why students major in agriculture and about the changes in agriculture education that keeps this field vibrant and relevant. 

Join Becky Magura when she sits down to talk to 93-year old Elyse Pervis, a trailblazer who made her mark in Buckhead, Atlanta, as an accomplished realtor for over 50 years before retiring on a farm in Sparta, Tennessee.

Join Becky Magura as she sits down with award winner, Philip Gibbons to talk about his life in radio broadcasting! 

Are you protected when you go online? Dr. Phil Oldham drives deeper into what you can do to help protect yourself online with Dr. Ambareen Siraj and Andy Brown. See what the cybersecurity department at Tennessee Tech has been up to lately! 

Learn all about how technology is changing the way students and teachers are learning in the classroom! Tennessee Tech University, President Phil Oldham sits down with Dr. Carl Owens and Dr. Jason Beach to talk about the past and future of teaching. 

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Jack Stoddart aka Hippie Jack, fine art photographer, host of the nationally syndicated Americana music show, Jammin' at Hippie Jack's, to learn about his time and energy focused on humanitarian efforts for the Appalachians in former mining communities around Overton County.

Join Cynthia Putman and her guests, Literacy Coaches for the Putnam County Schools (TN) School System. The coaches include Carissa Comer, Diana Cook, and Allison Painter. For this episode of Get Ready To Learn, they discussed an age-old question: How do you teach a child to read?

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Dr. Mary Evins from Smtihville, Tennessee to discuss her life and what is was like being raised in a family who made a career out of politiics.

This week our host Cynthia Whittaker Putman focused the entire show on helpful hints for parents about the return to school, including mask wearing and tips for reducing anxiety in kids.Starting the new school year can be a time of great excitement…and anxiety. Help calm your child’s fears (and your own) with these teacher-approved tips.

This week our host Cynthia Whittaker Putman was joined by Putnam County Schools (TN) School System Director Corby King, Grades 9-12 Curriculum Supervisor Dr. Sharon Anderson, and Coordinated School Health Program Supervisor Melanie Bussell for an important conversation about the 2020-21 school year.

This week our host Cindy Putman was once again joined by Cookeville resident Brandon Russell as they continued their conversation about race, diversity, and raising children in a rural southern town during this unprecedented time in our country.

Join as Becky Magura sits down with the new CEO and President of the Cookeville - Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, Amy New!

This week our host Cindy Putman is joined by members of the Putnam County Schools (TN) School System who have worked diligently to provide daily lessons as part of the Tennessee Department of Education block of Teach Tennessee.Meet Jill Ramsey, Sam Brooks, Alli Ledford, Sarah Vaughn, Lindsey Spain and Autumn Clark who rallied to make this project successful. Listen as they share more about their experience teaching to a camera instead of to their usual audience--faces of little learners.

This week on our WCTE Get Ready To Learn radio show, host Cindy Putman continues her conversation with two very special guests: Tara Brown and Chris Parrott.These women are movers and shakers in their communities. Both are authors and true professionals who understand the importance of connection and having a sense of self.

This week on our WCTE Get Ready To Learn radio show, host Cindy Putman will be joined by two very special guests: Tara Brown and Chris Parrott.Tara Brown - The Connection Coach is a great friend of WCTE who speaks to audiences around the world, inspiring them to embrace the power of authentic connections and high expectations in order to unleash the potential in our youth.Tara introduced us to Chris who is a BPS Chartered Counseling Psychologist based in New York. Chris’ work (Be Curious Not Furious) is focused on supporting teens both socially and emotionally and she speaks at conferences, schools and other community forums.These women are movers and shakers in their communities. Both are authors and true professionals who understand the importance of connection and having a sense of self.

This week our host Cindy Putman is joined by her special guest, Christine K. Parrott BPS Counseling Psychologist and author.

This week our host Cynthia Whittaker Putman is joined by Cookeville resident Brandon Russell for a frank conversation about his experiences and point of view as a person of color who calls the Upper Cumberland his home.

This week our host Cindy Putman is joined by Cookeville resident Brandon Russell for a frank conversation about his experiences and point of view as a person of color who calls the Upper Cumberland his home.

Join Becky Magura as she discovers more about what goes on when a natural disaster or a pandemic hits the area! Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter and Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton sit down with Becky to talk about how they are handling the aftermath of the tornado that hit Putnam County in early March and the pandemic that has hit the whole world.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Morris Irby to discuss growing up in Cookeville, graduating from Tennessee Tech as the first African American baseball player, serving in the military, getting married, working in a global position for a fortune 500 company, and never giving up no matter what someone says or wants you to do in this new episode.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Coach Kim Rosamond to discuss her lustrous career thus far serving as an assistant coach in the SEC and now women's head basketball coach at Tennessee Tech University, a member of the OVC, to learn about her success on the court and the recruiting trail.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Marie Benedict, New York Times Bestselling Author, to discuss her new book titled, "Lady Clementine," about brilliant women whose unsung influence helped shape two World Wars.

Join Becky Magura as she sits down with Grammy Award Winner Ray Stevens who has sold over 40 million albums to talk about his success in the entertainment business for over 50 years and the Ray Stevens CabaRay show filmed weekly in a state-of-the-art style showroom in Nashville.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Dr. Penny Schwinn, Tennessee's education commissioner, to discuss her goals under Governor Lee's administration.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Jake Hoot to talk about his experience being a contestant on The Voice this season and working under Kelly Clarkson as his coach to compete for the trophy.

Join Becky Magura when she sits down with Sparta native, Kellie (Jolly) Harper, who is only the third Lady Vol head coach in the NCAA era of women's basketball.

Join Becky Magura as she sits down with Ken Burns and his team on their tour bus to discuss "Country Music," an eight-part, 16-hour exploration into the history of 20th century country music in America.

Join Becky Magura as she sits down with Doug Derryberry, a musician in New York City and part of the Sesame Street Band, to talk about what it was like being raised in Cookeville by his beloved parents, Dr. Walter and Alice Derryberry, and all the great things he's working on today.

Henry Bowman (72) and his spouse, Monika Bowman (70), talk about the day Henry was taken to the hospital and the importance of community-owned hospitals in rural healthcare.

Chris Qualls (45) talks with his friend, Julie Stepp (50), about his time spent in a rural nursing home, the problems with rural healthcare, and the lack of value placed on caring jobs.