Bluegrass & Backroads
Kentucky Farm Bureau's Bluegrass & Backroads is a television program produced by Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation and Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Companies based in Louisville, Kentucky. The half-hour program focuses on interesting cultural, historical, and artistic aspects of the Bluegrass State. The program is currently hosted and produced by Robert Shrader and Matt Hilton.
Format
The program normally consists of four segments each focusing on different subjects. The segments are usually 4-61/2 minutes in length which begin with intros in the form of on camera standups by Shrader & Hilton. This is an example of a typical Bluegrass & Backroads segment. This segment deals with local Kentucky Drum Makers as they make, play, and display drums.VIDEO LINK
History
The program was started in 2003 by former producer Todd Eklof, who is now a full-time minister, with Kentucky Farm Bureau credited as its title sponsor. During the first season the program was also hosted by Eklof, a former WHAS-TV reporter. From its inception the program aired on Louisville's WBKI TV, while being simulcast in Lexington, and Bowling Green, Kentucky's three largest markets. Soon after it began airing in Kentucky, the program found a national audience on RFD TV.
After the second season began Eklof was replaced by Farm Bureau radio producer and long-time agri-reporter Mike Feldhaus. Since then the program has also been distributed to a few smaller markets.
Awards and recognition
On July 28, 2009, Bluegrass and Backroads won two first-place awards in the Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards administered by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The program won top honors in the general magazine category and videographers Matt Hilton and Bob Shrader won Emmys for their photography in a story about a retirement farm for thoroughbred horses. The program has also won numerous video production awards from the American Farm Bureau Federation
The program airs on KET (Kentucky Educational Television), RFD-TV, Rural-TV in Great Britain, and several other Kentucky stations.
Outlets
Bluegrass & Backroads can be seen on the following stations:
| Area | Station | Air Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | RFD-TV | Wed. 2pm |
| Statewide Kentucky | KET | Varied airtimes |
| Louisville, KY/Lexington, KY | WBKI-TV | Sun. |
| Bowling Green, KY | WBKO-TV | Sun. 11am |
| Evansville, IN | WEHT-TV | Sat. 5pm |
| Paducah | WPSD-TV | Sat. 5am |
| Hazard, KY | WYMT-TV | Sat. Noon |