The WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour,[1] produced and hosted by folksinger Michael Johnathon is listened to by over 1 Million radio listeners on over 493 radio stations each week all over the world.[2] It is provided free of charge to public and community radio stations anywhere in the world. It had been available nationally as a TV program on the cable network Blue Highways as early as 2005.[3] In 2007 selected programs also became available throughout the U.S. as television programs to all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television stations. In 2008 mp4 podcasts were added to the already existing mp3 podcasts. The program has recently been added to the AMERICAN FORCES RADIO NETWORK, broadcasting into 180 nations and every US Naval ship at sea.
The show tapes over 40 shows a year almost every Monday at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington, Kentucky. He occasionally takes the show on the road and then webcasts live with artists from that location. Those with high speed internet can watch the show as it is being taped from 6:45 pm to approx 8:20 pm. The music that is featured is a very wide variety of folk music from all over the world. It is very unusual in that everyone associated with the show is a volunteer. Even Mr. Johnathon and the other performers who come from all over the world are not paid. Between musical and sometimes dance performances the performers are interviewed by Michael. The show is both entertaining and educational. The show started from a very humble beginning. It was first produced in a small recording studio which could only seat twenty people.[4] It was initially carried by a single college radio station.
The Woodsongs website contains one of the largest bluegrass and independent artist live music archives available on the web, all available at no charge. The audio archives are the radio programs. The video archives contain in addition to the first hour, which will be used as the radio program and the television version of the radio program; an encore section that features additional performances. In this encore section; through May 3, 2010 Michael had the audience help him tape the promos for that show. He then usually invited those in the audience 6 to 16 years old to come onto the stage, chat with them and had them introduce the artist(s) prior to the encores.[5] The inviting of those under 16 to come onto the stage was returned to the format recently.