▁When ▁future ▁inter im ▁U T ▁president ▁Jan ▁S ime k ▁moved ▁from ▁California ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁fac ulty ▁position ▁in ▁Kno x ville ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁his ▁mother ▁wor ried ▁that ▁he ▁might ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁listen ▁to ▁" real " ▁music ; ▁when ▁she ▁visited ▁him ▁in ▁Kno x ville ▁and ▁learned ▁of ▁W U OT , ▁her ▁fear s ▁were ▁ass u aged , ▁and ▁she ▁ended ▁up ▁moving ▁to ▁Kno x ville ▁herself . ▁W U OT ' s ▁reach ▁expanded ▁when ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁at ▁Ch att ano oga ▁signed ▁on ▁its ▁W UTC ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁get ▁on ▁air ▁quickly , ▁the ▁new ▁Ch att ano oga ▁station ▁sim ul cast ▁W U OT ' s ▁output . ▁The ▁UTC ▁station ▁later ▁evol ved ▁to ▁produce ▁its ▁own ▁programming . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁station ▁partner ed ▁with ▁an ▁independent ▁producer ▁to ▁create ▁" T ruck Be at ", ▁a ▁tr uck ▁that ▁tra ve led ▁around ▁east ▁Tennessee ▁to ▁areas ▁not ▁typically ▁covered ▁by ▁public ▁radio ▁and ▁reported ▁the ▁impact s ▁of ▁the ▁op io id ▁ep ide mic ▁on ▁rural ▁communities . ▁The ▁tr uck ▁itself ▁was ▁a ▁former ▁W B IR - TV ▁live ▁tr uck ▁that ▁the ▁station ▁had ▁purchased ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁World ' s ▁Fair . ▁T ruck Be at ▁was ▁hon ored ▁by ▁the ▁Online ▁News ▁Association