During their combined 70 years in radio, Jason Grider and Sheila Scruggs have used the airwaves as a megaphone of good, narrating the highs and lows, tears, and laughter that is life in the Upper Cumberland.

The power duo behind the daily, light-hearted radio show “Good Morning Cookeville,” and co-selections for this year’s Influential People edition, shared similar thoughts when asked what it means to be recognized as persons of impact in their community. 

Jason stated, “We’re just doing what we do to have fun and show our love for the community and the radio station. WHUB means a lot to this community and it was a ball that we thought we should pick up and run with. For me, this has been mostly about having a good time and if the influence comes along as well, that’s cool, too.”

Echoing the sentiment, Sheila said, “I feel very, very humbled by the recognition. This is where I live, this is where I work, and for people to recognize us really makes me feel blessed. I’m doing something, for a career, that I have fun with and that people seem to like. You can’t ask for anything better.”

As the new General Manager for Cookeville Communications, Jason sees his role leading the station as one of connectivity and communal partnership. 

“I’ve always said when I grow up, I want to be the old guy at Hardee’s, hanging out and talking about everything that’s going on in the city. The way I look at it, we’re kind of like Cookeville’s breakfast table. That’s how I approach Good Morning Cookeville and the station in general each day. We want to be a place where listeners feel like they have a seat at the table with us.” He continued, “For me, becoming the General Manager of Cookeville Communications is kind of like a circle of life moment. I recorded my first commercial here when I was in the first grade and now I’m managing the station. My first job was in this same building when I was 15, so all four of our stations (Newstalk 107.7/1400 the HUB, 106.1 The Eagle, 98.5 KISS FM, and 94.7 The Country Giant) mean something to me. To be able to stand on the shoulders of the Medleys (Mark and Martin), Bob Gallaher, Drew Huffines, and Larry Nunn, and take what they started. which was something really great, and to be able to carry on that tradition is wonderful. I do feel like it takes somebody from here, local to here, to understand what those stations mean to this community. WHUB has been here for 83 years. It’s been the calling card of Cookeville for nearly a century. When you hear the Country Giant, you know you’re close to home. It’s almost like a lighthouse, a beacon, for people of the area. I’m still learning, but the future is bright for all four of our radio stations, and it’s going to do nothing but get better. I’m excited about what the future holds, not just for those radio stations, but for radio overall. I often hear that radio’s dead. That’s not true. There’s just dead radio stations, and we’re not one of them. We’re alive and kicking and out in the community. We did 20 events in October, and we have another 20 events scheduled for November. We’re pitching in to help in any way we can, whether that’s hurricane relief, Toys for Tots, or whatever else is needed. We see this station as a service to the community and are working hard to make its impact as big as it can possibly be.”

While Jason’s childhood was spent roaming the halls of the station he now manages, Sheila came here as an adult with a passion for radio and a job opportunity in the field. Having given the last three decades of her life to Cookeville radio, she looks back with fondness on her career to this point and forward with excitement about the current and future state of radio in the area. 

She said, “I didn’t grow up here, but I was brought to Cookeville by the Medleys at 21 years old when they hired me and my husband. Cookeville became our work home.  I grew up in Lynchburg, Tennessee, but my entire adult career has been spent in Cookeville. Then, a couple of years after arriving in Cookeville, I moved over to Sunny 95 with Larry Nunn. He knew I wanted to do music, he knew I wanted to program, he knew I wanted to do so many different things. He saw that and guided me, helped me learn more about what I really wanted to do. He didn’t care if I was a girl or a guy, he just knew I had passion for it and helped me learn. I can’t say enough about him. I just feel like he’s on the Mount Rushmore of Cookeville radio, like Drew, Bob, and the Medleys.” Scruggs added, “I want to make sure that we’re informing people of what’s available in the Upper Cumberland because I’m still shocked at how much we have here that most citizens aren’t aware of. So, it’s our mission to introduce listeners to people and businesses that are already here and established that they don’t know of yet. Sometimes we feel like we have to go to Nashville or Knoxville to find what we’re looking for, which that’s okay to do too, but I want people to be recognized that actually live here, work here, and make this city and the UC thrive.”

Beyond all they accomplish in radio, it’s obvious that Jason and Sheila have an almost sibling-esque bond. To wrap up our time together, I asked the pair to share what each meant to the other. I can’t think of a better way to end this feature on two people who truly influence their community, bring hope and levity to the world around them, and make Cookeville a more informed, kind place every day. 

Jason said, “Sheila’s one of those friends, that if she’s on your side, she’s truly on your side. You don’t find that in a lot of people. That’s a quality that not a lot of people have. She has got your back when it’s easy and when it’s not. She has your back when you’re in the room and when you’re not.” 

She concluded, “I just want to say I’m very proud of how he’s become a leader because he really hadn’t done that before taking over as General Manager. I was out of radio for a little bit. I had walked away because of a negative experience and didn’t know if the passion for it was still there. Jason encouraged me to try again and convinced me to come back. Now, we’ve been in radio together for four years. He brought my passion back and I’m so grateful to do this with him each day.” 

– written by Andrew Buckner, photos by Abby Weeden