Blue Ridge PBS 2 takes viewers 50 years back in time, highlighting both Roanoke and The Roanoker Magazine in the documentary, The Roanoker’s First 50 Years. Produced by The Roanoker’s parent company, LeisureMedia360, in collaboration with Grandin Theatre Film Lab Director Tyler Lyon and local Grammy-winning producer Matthew Blair (known for The Voice), the documentary chronicles the early days of Richard Wells’ dream to launch a city magazine for Roanoke, culminating in the magazine’s current 50th-anniversary edition.
The film explores the 1974 launch of The Roanoker, a time when Roanoke, the magazine’s production process and the social context were closer to 1924 than to 2024. Through interviews, archival footage of downtown Roanoke and more, the documentary provides a compelling look at the magazine’s history and impact on the region.
“The chronicling of Richard Wells’ vision as a very young man to create a city magazine is a tale enriched not only by the 50-year realization of that dream, but also by the context of a city’s growth over the last half century,” says Editor-in-Chief Kurt Rheinheimer. “The documentary presents a fitting tribute to Richard as well as important bits of city history and informative interviews with staff past and present.”
The Roanoker’s First 50 Years: If It’s Good for Roanoke, It’s Good for The Roanoker will air on Tuesday, December 3 at 8 PM on Blue Ridge PBS 2 (15.2 over-the-air, 107 on Cox Cable, 264 on Comcast/Xfinity, 17 on Lumos, 157 on Shentel and streaming on Echo).
Learn more about how The Roanoker is celebrating its 50th anniversary through 50 acts of service, our juried art show featuring talented local artists and much more.
About Blue Ridge PBS
Founded in 1967, Blue Ridge PBS serves four million individuals across portions of four states. Based in Roanoke, VA, it is the sole public multimedia enterprise serving Southern and Southwest Virginia, and bordering counties in Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Blue Ridge PBS operates five broadcast channels and two streaming channels on YouTube: Blue Ridge Streaming and ECHO. Viewers in Far Southwest Virginia can also watch via PBS Appalachia, available on Roku and Amazon Fire.
