Matt Shafer Powell

Matt Shafer Powell has known since a very young age that he wanted to pursue a career in radio. As a senior in high school, he convinced the News Director at a Grand Rapids, Michigan radio station to let him work for free. This experience led him to Central Michigan University and a degree in Broadcasting.

Matt truly discovered his muse in 2000, when he took a job as a public radio reporter at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor, now known as Michigan Public. Since then, he has worked as a News Director at WUOT, a Chief Content Officer at WFYI in Indianapolis, and he returned to Michigan Public in 2022 to serve as Program Director.

Since leaving Knoxville in 2017, WUOT has never been far from his mind or his heart. He always hoped he would be able to return to East Tennessee to lead the station into the future. With his grown children scattered about the country, he now lives in Knoxville with his wife Michelle, two little dogs and their lazy cat.

You can reach Matt via email.