Life in the Heart Land (LITHL) is among VPM’s most impactful content to date. The docuseries from VPM and Deep Structure Productions dives deep into the heart of Virginia to meet the neighbors, communities and organizations that are addressing long-standing obstacles head-on and serving as an example for other rural locations. The pilot episode, which premiered in Nov. 2021, highlights the difficulties rural communities face acquiring broadband services and was used by Virginia co-ops to open doors and partner with legislators, policymakers and vendors to connect broadband to Virginia’s rural regions.
In Oct. 2024, VPM and Deep Structure hosted over 200 community members and partners at The Wayne Theater in Waynesboro for an event to celebrate the launch of the second season of LITHL. Attendees enjoyed live music performances, panel discussions featuring community partners, spoken word performances by local artists and more.
A month later, VPM senior producer Clay Bretz attended Heartland Heroes: A Veterans Day Tribute at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business where the ‘Veterans’ episode of season two of LITHL was screened. After the screening, Clay participated in a panel discussion about the episode and the challenges that veterans face after their service concludes.
