than 30 stations in the Southern Appalachian region. The daily program covered the history and culture of Southern Appalachia and was noted for dispelling media stereotypes of the region that pervade popular culture. His work with the program was also noted for its original documentation of minorities in Southern Appalachian history. His first national story as a news reporter was his coverage of the 1994 Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station protest by the radical environmental group Earth First for WVLT-TV in Knoxville, which resulted in numerous arrests, police actions and national media coverage. He was the only broadcast reporter to arrive at the site before protesters set up a transportation blockade on highways and roads leading to the power station. In addition to news reporting and anchoring a weekly public affairs talk show for the station, Hooper created and produced a television documentary series on Tennessee history and archaeology in 1995. The twice-weekly broadcast was carried by CBS affiliates statewide and earned regional and statewide recognition for its documentaries on Tennessee's past. In 1996, Hooper coordinated a successful national media campaign to bring attention to the plight of Shiloh National Military Park's erosion issues and the destruction of a Mississippian Indian mound on the Shiloh Indian Mounds Site, which sat on the back of the National Park Service's Shiloh property. The ensuing efforts led him and broadcast producer Jeff Hentschel to create the Tennessee Online Internet site, which serves as a teaching aid for students studying the history of Tennessee. In addition, Hooper served as a trustee and as Museum Outreach Chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History from 1996 to 2002, where he assisted in researching and assisting with the displays of MOH "Halls of Valor" across the nation and at U.S. military facilities overseas. He has coordinated numerous educational programs with the nation's living recipients for public and private schools. In 2002, the Tennessee Legislature unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution 0537 officially giving Hooper the ancient title of “Bard Laureate” of Tennessee for his efforts documenting Tennessee’s notable veterans. In 2005 and 2006, Hooper served two successive terms as President of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists. Hooper served as a publisher/editor of the Civil War Courier newspaper and national reenacting magazines Camp Chase Gazette, and the Citizen's Companion from 2004 to 2009. During his tenure, he served as national media coordinator for