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WSM-AM

J

JeremyAndrews

How's WSM-AM doing in all the flooding? I heard Fox 17's newsroom is down since nobody can get to work. Since the Orpyland Hotel was evacuated what's 650 doing? Do they have a backup studio, are they off the air or are they running automation?

Just curious. Take it easy down there.
 
The were simulcasting NOAA Weather Radio early this morning. Went live about 8:20am with Joe Limardi broadcasting from the tower site off Concord Road.
 
WSM does have a backup studio at the transmitter site. They use it from time to time. It sounds like they may be using it for a long time to come, as a release from Gaylord says the Opryland motel may be closed for months!

According to reports, the xmitter had to be turned off yestrday due to the flooding. Was water so deep that it got up over the base insulator on the Blaw-Knox? As I recall from Scott Fybush's site, that's a good 3 feet. Probably more likely that there was water in the xmitter building.
 
Anybody know for sure if the Magnolia lobby and the WSM studios flooded or if it was just the Delta and Cascades as shown on the Tenneessean's site? It would be a shame if any of the record libary was ruined in the flood.
 
If the folks at Cumulus were broadcasters instead of corporate whores, they would, in the spirit of the shared experience, offer WSM the use of one of their several empty studios, until such time as they could return to their own. But they won't. Becaise of the aforemention whore-i-ness.
 
Was the WSM studio on the first floor (I'm pretty sure it was)? The reports I heard said that 8-10 feet of water got into the Oprlyand resort, which means that anything on the ground floor is ruined.

Also reports (from WSM) that the stage at the Opryhouse was under water. The Opry will be moving to the Ryman auditorium for the foreseeable future.
 
At this point, it is yet unknown if the water has reached the floor level in the Magnolia lobby, I kind of doubt it. In any case, all of the labyrinth of access tunnels, equipment rooms, power distribution, and telecommunications phone room are below ground. That won’t be able to come back until it is all cleared and replaced. Look for six months to a year and that might be optimistic. I just got off the phone with Eddie Stubbs and he says all of the archival materials stowed at the WSM offices next to the GOOH are 10 feet underwater now. Most of the 78’s and other records are stored in the studio in the hotel. Good news is that can be cleaned up. They are operating out of the transmitter site for now but suspect that will get old as soon as the new wears off. Historic old building but you wouldn’t want to live there. Everything in the Opry House will have to be replaced as I am told water is above the stage.
 
I remember years ago working at a station that overlooked the river during a flood. We were on the 16th floor, so no equipment was damaged, but the electricity was out. You find out in a hurry how out-of-shape you are when you have to climb 16 flights of stairs! :-*
 
there was a pic of the flood water at the WSM transmitter site on WSMV, I haven't been able to find it on their site however...Any word on if their transmitter was damaged in any way?
 
techguy1975 said:
there was a pic of the flood water at the WSM transmitter site on WSMV, I haven't been able to find it on their site however...Any word on if their transmitter was damaged in any way?
Click to expand...

Was listening to WSM AM 650 tonite on the drive home from work up here in Central Ohio... so I would say their using a pretty decent Transmitter as I was getting normal night skywave coverage.
 
Listening from Memphis right now. Eddie Stubbs says he's at the transmitter site.
 
The WSM transmitter site borders the Little Harpeth creek and the field where the tower sits is in a flood plain and does flood frequently; however, the base of the antenna, insulator and antenna tuning house are all more than sufficiently elevated and not impacted. The transmitter building is on high ground. In short, the flood waters have had no impact on the transmission facility.
 
I guess the bigger loss will be all the historical records stored at OpryLand.. From what I heard Eddie saying last night on air, alot of that is under water now..
 
Unless the water came up very fast, why couldn't they grabbed as many records and tapes as possible and get them out of the building before it went under. The same with the equipment. Was this a flash flood, or did it come up slowly. It looks like once they saw the water coming up, everyone that was there could just grab something and head out the door.
 
That was my first thought when I read Watt's post, but a closer read told me the records were fine (maybe that's changed), it was the archived stuff at the old WSM-FM building, which I believe is just a home for their sales staff now. If that is the case, sales doesn't understand the on-air side of it, and just like George Castanza in a house fire, they would only be concerned with themselves, not the historic significance of where they work.

On the other hand and in their defense, "grabbing stuff and heading out the door" might have the same effect as the flood - never seeing that priceless stuff again!
 
I am now told the water did NOT reach the hotel studio area but was within inches. Will be a long time before they return to the hotel. Satellite down-link system has been at the transmitter for a number of years so network access is there anyway. Additional phone lines being installed at the transmitter site. Looks like they are going to try to get comfortable out there.
 
Poor ol WSM. Time was everybody would have turned to them in a storm. Nowadays they have to go to Noah Weather Radio purchased from Charlie Neese in front of a Wal-Mart. I guess the days of the great radio news stations is like the death of the great newspapers something to be commented on by the elderly and to be smirked at by the young. Oh well.
 
I have a great idea: since a certain negative poster seems to be looking for attention
by acting out like a misbehaving child...I suggest we no longer feed his/her ego by responding.

anyone else?
 
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