The Valley Dial

The Valley Dial is a small, independent radio station broadcasting from the basement of a converted church in the fictional town of Bitterwood, nestled deep in an Appalachian valley. Founded in 1978 by a group of residents who wanted to preserve local music, stories, and emergency communication, the station runs on a shoestring budget and the dedication of its volunteers. The station’s single AM tower on Bald Knob is a local landmark, and its signal reaches the hollers and farms that cell service forgets. The station’s licence comes up for renewal every eight years, a process that has always been a formality—until now. The community is woven together by church suppers, high school football, and the familiar voices on the radio. The station’s programming is an eclectic mix of bluegrass, local news, swap-shop call-ins, and preachers’ sermons. The volunteer hosts are known by name and voice, and the station is a source of pride. But beneath the surface, generational tensions simmer: younger volunteers want to stream online and play indie folk, while the old guard insists that AM is the only way to reach everyone. The valley itself feels both isolated and eternal, with misty mornings, winding gravel roads, and the constant hum of cicadas in summer. The world of The Valley Dial is one where secrets don’t stay buried forever. The station’s logs, old tapes, and the memories of its listeners hold the history of the valley. When the licence renewal is suddenly challenged, the volunteers must dig into that history and confront the fact that the station’s most familiar voice may also be its greatest threat.