Legendary radio station location to go condo

[robgrayson]

According to an article in the 8/8/07 CA, the former radio studios at Union and Main are being redeveloped into 10 loft apartments and 6,200 sf of ground floor retail space. They identify the property as the former WDIA building, but the old timers will remember it as the WMPS/Plough Broadcasting site.

 

[PR680]

Wasn't in town when 112 went to WDIA. Now going condo, wow....

This "old timer" remembers the location vividly. Wonder what the "blue room" and main control/news room combo would go for?

Another piece of history moves on...

 

[Antoine Domino]

Does each unit come with an "ON AIR" light? ;D

 

[robgrayson]

Lends new meaning to the term "studio apartment"

 

[littlebigradio]

.....word is the developer is going to leave the sign out in front of the building. I hope he gets it in working order and lights that sucker up.

 

[DeadElvis]

If the developer wants to keep the sign up, I assume he has cleared that with Clear Channel. They would have -- at least -- a common law trademark there.

DE

 

[Zeke_Terry]

I wonder if he'll give discounts if we're in the radio business. I mean come on, we work in radio, we don't make any money - we just get perks.

And all the free cd's you can eat.

;D

 

[jboydingram]

1959-1960 while attending Electronics School in Memphis...You would see fans standing along the sidewalk, waiting to spot a D.J. as he came or went....usually they had a notebook or the WMPS Top 40 for the week...hoping for an autograph!..some of the less popular jocks really capitalized on this...memories....Thanks...JBI

 

[radiosaur]

I could never live there. I would not be able to sleep for all the (real or imagined) voices from the past floating through that place.

 

[Tynosaur]

I worked there for about 3 days a few years back when those straight line winds blew the side off the Gibson factory and twisted one of the construction cranes building the FedEx Forum around to the north, forcing Clear Channel on Beale's traffic, production, management and salesfolk to ride shank's mare over to Union until the crane was locked down. WREC and WEGR operated in the hallway of the bottom floor of WPTY on Union Extended and KWAM simply simulcast WREC during the period.

The main things I noticed in that brief experience were:

1. The Smithsonian called three times asking when they could come get that danged elevator!

2. The office pool among the regulars (WDIA/WHAL/WHRK/KJMS) was giving odds on how many Beale St. people would trip going up or down those wicked steps into the production studios and control rooms.

3. I never did find a restroom.

Jackie Crenshaw, a great lady and CCR's executive secretary, was once the Plough record librarian on the 2nd floor. I heard tales from her about the size and completeness of that fabled Plough library and always wished I could have seen it in its glory.

If I hadn't worked first at WREC in the basement of the Peabody, I would have been claustrophobic in the Union facility!

BTW, Hoyt Wooten's office in the basement extended out under 3rd Street and had WINDOWS!. There were two windows on the west wall with blinds, curtains and backlighted so you had the sensation of light streaming through 12 feet of river bluff. It was the sort of thing God would have done if...

Good luck with the condos. What tales those walls could tell!!!

 

[Danoinark]

Dang, I would like one more quick look see at the old place..Anytime I am in Mempho, and drive by, it sure brings back some thoughts, both good and bad.
I will miss it. Does the studios still resemble anything I would remember? If so send on oldtime some pictures. You know I just remember our company newsletter for the radio chain. It was called Plough Shares. Funny how I remember that.
Dan S.