Song of the Mountains, the highly popular PBS televison series that features artists and music from the Appalachian Region needs your support to stay alive. The show which began taping of its eighth season last Saturday night, January 14th, 2012 needs your support more than ever if the show is to continue. Just as everyone has been affected by the downturn in the economy, so has the arts and in particular, Song of the Mountains.

The show reaches approximately 146 million people annually and, much to my surprise, is not allowed to have on-air fundraisers as many of you have been accustomed to seeing on PBS channels. Corporate support has pulled back as companies that support the arts are forced into survival mode and SOTM is turning to its fans to help bridge the gap.

All of Mountain Roads Recordings artists have been featured on this show and we ask you to help support this valuable asset for our music and keep it on the air. No donation is too small. Consider helping before you look for the show one night only to find that not enough people came through to keep it on the air.

Tim White, Executive Coordinator and Host, is appealing to viewers and supporters through a letter that was posted on various bluegrass news sources and circulated to listeners.

Please consider sending a donation. We have and ask to to join us.

Karl & Gail Cooler, Mountain Roads Recordings

Tim White writes.....

"Bluegrass & Americana Music Friends,

We are still struggling tremendously to keep Song of the Mountains funded and on the air on public television. I am disappointed in the response to our pleas presented to our fan base up to this point for help with donations. Everywhere I go people tell me how much they look forward to seeing SOTM on television each week. When I tell them we need financial support and even a small donation will add up to help if enough fans in bluegrass and old time music will step up and help us then this would be our salvation to our funding problems.

Our potential reach across America in 146 million people per year. We have a quality bluegrass and Americana program that serves our fan base like no other….ever. I know our bluegrass fans and family love our show, but if they continue to sit on their hands and do nothing, we have no choice but to end production.

I have made phone calls, produced a video which is at our Facebook page and Song of the Mountains website homepage www.songofthemountains.org and put our pleas for donations on my radio shows but our bluegrass family and friends are not responding very much. I don’t want them to sit idly by and let this show “pass away” and then realize they could have made a difference (after it is too late).

I love our music…we have a fantastic television show that showcases our beloved music like it should be presented. I spend endless hours every week working to make it better.

I know that our bluegrass and Americana fans truly enjoy Song of the Mountains but I do not know how to stress our sense of urgency to you. Without funding our show will end, and end soon. We receive no money from PBS. We depend entirely on generous support from our fans and underwriters. In this economy corporate dollars are not there for underwriting like it was just a few years ago so we must turn to our fans and supporters of our music.

With that said…IT IS NOT TOO LATE! But people must react now. I hope you will.

Thanks so much for your concern and willingness to help.

If you have any ideas or ways to get word out for us it will be most appreciated. We must act now. Please don’t wait! Pass this along to all of your bluegrass, old time music and Americana fans.

Donations can be sent to:

Song of the Mountains
117 East Main Street
Marion, Virginia 24354

Donations are easily accepted at our website. On our homepage look at the upper right-hand corner for the “Free Gift” banner. www.songofthemountains.org

Thanks,

Tim White
Executive Coordinator & Host
Song of the Mountains"