Nashville PBS (WNPT) is pleased to announce that Grammy Award-winning musician, Grand Ole Opry member, and acclaimed storyteller Ketch Secor will become the new host of Tennessee Crossroads, the long-running travel and culture series, during its 39th season this September. The beloved series airs on public television stations in Tennessee and the Southeast and reaches viewers nationwide online. Secor will also lend his signature curiosity and warmth to Jaunts, the show’s digital companion taking viewers on quick discoveries across the region.
Secor will make his debut as Tennessee Crossroads host Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. CDT on Nashville PBS and the free PBS app. Secor will join returning correspondents Miranda Cohen, Laura Faber, and Vicki Yates. Founding host Joe Elmore led the show until his death in the summer of 2024.
Tennessee Crossroads premiered in 1987 and has journeyed highways and backroads sharing the stories of the people and places that make the region unique. The magazine-style travel show remains one of the highest-rated shows in the PBS system. Over the years Tennessee Crossroads has profiled more than 5,000 restaurants, makers, and small businesses in more than 200 cities across Tennessee and neighboring states, all without accepting payment for coverage. That editorial independence is central to Nashville PBS’ public-service mission and sets the series apart from most sponsored travel shows on commercial and digital platforms.
“I’m super excited for Ketch to join our talented team in delivering all that you expect from this incredible series. He’s an old soul in a young man’s body,” said Becky Magura, president and CEO of Nashville PBS. “This marks the beginning of a new era for Tennessee Crossroads.”
Best known as the founder of Old Crow Medicine Show, the pioneering Americana group behind the modern classic, “Wagon Wheel,” Secor is a wheel-spinning multitasker and lifelong storyteller. Recent projects include children’s book Loraine (Source Books), documentary Louder Than Guns (co-produced with David Greene and Doug Pray), TEDx Talks, online variety shows, a stage musical, and even the launch of a primary school in Nashville, Tenn. His songwriting has been featured on recent albums from Turnpike Troubadours, Wyatt Ellis, Molly Tuttle and more, and his two-time Grammy-winning band Old Crow Medicine Show just celebrated their 25-year anniversary. On July 8, Secor will return to Nashville’s famed Station Inn to celebrate his debut solo album, Story the Crow Told Me, which will be released on July 11.
Secor will not only take on hosting duties for Tennessee Crossroads, he will hit the road to cover stories of his own for the TV show and digital series.
“I am thrilled and honored to take the reins of one of my state’s most watched and beloved programs, Nashville PBS’ Tennessee Crossroads,” said Ketch Secor. “Continuing the legacy of founding host the late great Joe Elmore I’ll be exploring the places and people who make the Volunteer State so vibrant (and so worth a visit!). Tennessee is my home, and, with its abundant cultural offerings and regional distinctions, has been my deepest well of inspiration as an artist. I’m honored to share with viewers my passion for and knowledge of our state and learn even more on this journey together. Let’s go!”
Secor is a longtime supporter of public broadcasting and proudly made his television debut as a sixth grader answering calls during live pledge drives around Ken Burns’ “The Civil War”documentary. Things came full circle when he was featured in Ken Burns’ landmark “Country Music” seriesand served as a historical consultant for the project. Secor’s connection to Nashville PBS includes appearing on “Clean Slate With Becky Magura” and, most recently, “Recorded Live at Analog”with Molly Tuttle.
Tennessee Crossroads airs Thursdays at 7 p.m. on Nashville PBS, with encore broadcasts Sundays at 10 a.m. Full episodes are available any time to stream on tennesseecrossroads.org, the free PBS app, and the Tennessee Crossroads YouTube channel. Fresh editions of Jaunts drop weekly on Nashville PBS’ Instagram and Tennessee Crossroads’ YouTube channel.