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123-460: WSMV-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Nashville, Tennessee , United States, affiliated with NBC . It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTNX-LD (channel 29). The two stations share studios on Knob Road in west Nashville, where WSMV-TV's transmitter is also located. WSMV first signed on the air as WSM-TV on September 30, 1950, at 1:10 p.m. CT. It

246-458: A barter in some cases. Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (originally Union Gospel Tabernacle and renamed Grand Ole Opry House for a period) is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennessee , United States. It is best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. It

369-560: A 1991 corporate spin-off .) The company's chief executive, Ed Gaylord , had become acquainted with many of the Opry stars during his involvement with the long-running television series Hee Haw . His fondness for the Opry and friendships with its figures – particularly Sarah Cannon – are often cited as reasons for his interest in the acquisition. Ryman Auditorium was included in the sale almost as an afterthought, but Gaylord's appreciation of its history helped preserve it. In 1986, as part of

492-399: A concert and one-act play entitled The Ryman: The Tabernacle Becomes A Shrine on May 18, 1992, to celebrate the building's centennial. In October 1992, executives of Gaylord Entertainment announced plans to renovate the entire building and expand it to create modern amenities for performers and audiences alike. This was part of their larger initiative to invest in the city's revitalization of

615-562: A destination for heritage tourism in the city. On August 30, 1979, following a tip from a citizen, the Nashville bomb squad discovered and disarmed a massive car bomb that could have damaged or destroyed a three-block area of downtown Nashville that included the Ryman. A nearby strip club was found to be the bomber's target. The device was disarmed less than 20 minutes before it was timed to detonate. In September 1983, soon after NLT Corporation

738-412: A devout Christian who pledged to build the tabernacle so the people of Nashville could attend large-scale revivals indoors. It took seven years to complete and cost US$ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 3,391,111 in 2023). Jones held his first revival at the site on May 25, 1890, when only the building's foundation and six-foot (1.8 m) walls had been completed. Architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson designed

861-546: A female executive in a male-dominated industry. Naff gained a reputation for battling local censorship groups, who had threatened to ban various performances deemed too risqué. In 1939, Naff won a landmark lawsuit against the Nashville Board of Censors, which was planning to arrest the star of the play Tobacco Road due to its provocative nature. The court declared the law creating the censors to be invalid. Naff's ability to book stage shows and world-renowned entertainers in

984-430: A larger, custom-built auditorium that would provide a more controlled and comfortable atmosphere for audiences and performers alike, as well as better radio and television production facilities. The company purchased a large tract of land in a then-rural area a few miles away. The new Opry theater served as the anchor of a grand entertainment complex. The development became known as Opryland USA . It eventually included

1107-415: A much shorter wavelength, and thus requires a shorter antenna, but also higher power. North American stations can go up to 5000 kW ERP for video and 500 kW audio, or 1000 kW digital. Low channels travel further than high ones at the same power, but UHF does not suffer from as much electromagnetic interference and background "noise" as VHF, making it much more desirable for TV. Despite this, in

1230-458: A news anchor at KCBS-TV , and as sidekick to friend and former WSM-TV colleague Pat Sajak on his short-lived CBS late-night talk show The Pat Sajak Show . Miller returned to WSMV in 1992 to host 5 O'Clock with Dan Miller , which ran from 1992 to 1993. Miller returned to anchoring duties for the evening newscasts in March 1995, and continued until his sudden death in 2009. In 1974, Bill Hall joined

1353-488: A newscast from 6 to 7 p.m. (although it is now broken up into two 30-minute segments). Upon the success of the expanded 6 p.m. newscast on channel 4 (and after years of low-rated syndicated offerings in the 6:30 slot), WTVF followed suit in 1989 by expanding its 6 p.m. newscast to one hour. WSMV and WTVF are among the few stations in the Central Time Zone to run newscasts at 6:30 (stations elsewhere have attempted it since

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1476-529: A one-month run in January 2023, and a three-night run in January 2024. While still officially the Grand Ole Opry , the shows there have been billed as Opry at the Ryman . Gaylord Entertainment Company, the venue's owner since 1983, adopted the Ryman's name as its own when it transitioned into a real estate investment trust in 2012. The company is now known as Ryman Hospitality Properties , Inc. Ryman Auditorium

1599-625: A primary CBS affiliate. WSM-TV shared ABC programming with WSIX-TV for a year until WLAC-TV (channel 5, now WTVF ) signed on in 1954 as the market's new primary CBS affiliate, leaving WSIX-TV to take the ABC affiliation. In the late 1950s, the station also shared a short-lived affiliation with the NTA Film Network with WSIX-TV by airing one of its programs, Sheriff of Cochise . During the first few years of operation, AT&T would not run telephone lines for WSM-TV to receive network programming until there

1722-565: A replacement for The Oprah Winfrey Show , which ended its 25-year run the day before; this came on the heels of the expansion of other non-news local programming such as More at Midday and Better Nashville, indicating a decreased reliance on syndicated programming. On January 25, 2014, WSMV was the first station to expand its weekend morning newscast to 5 a.m. in the Nashville TV market. On July 17, 2017, WSMV changed its newscast branding from Channel 4 News to News 4 . In January 2018,

1845-601: A result. The building was formally assessed and approved for the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. In 1974, United States Senators from Tennessee Howard Baker and Bill Brock , together with officials of the United States Department of the Interior , pleaded with WSM, Inc. (and its parent company, NLT Corporation) to preserve the building. The company tabled the decision on the Ryman's fate. The building

1968-419: A segment featuring Dolly Parton performing a gospel medley on the Ryman stage. In 1989, Opryland USA, Inc. began work to beautify the Ryman's exterior. The structure of the building was also improved, as the company installed a new roof, replaced broken windows, and repaired broken bricks and wood. The building's interior, however, was left mostly untouched. From April 30 to May 2, 1991, Emmylou Harris and

2091-406: A tower there in a forested section away from potential damage to life and property. WSM-TV shared its broadcast facilities with non-commercial station WDCN-TV (channel 2, now WNPT on channel 8) when that station signed on in 1962. In 1963, National Life and Accident Insurance built new studios for WSM-AM-TV adjacent to the transmission tower on Knob Road. This left WDCN-TV as the sole occupant of

2214-425: A variety of ways to generate revenue from television commercials . They may be an independent station or part of a broadcasting network , or some other structure. They can produce some or all of their programs or buy some broadcast syndication programming for or all of it from other stations or independent production companies. Many stations have some sort of television studio , which on major-network stations

2337-451: A widow and mother who was working as a stenographer, began to book and promote speaking engagements, concerts, boxing matches, and other attractions at the Ryman in her free time. In 1914, when her employer went out of business, Naff made booking these events her full-time job. She eventually transitioned into a role by 1920 as the Ryman's official manager. She preferred to use the name "L.C. Naff" in an attempt to avoid initial prejudices as

2460-496: Is non-commercial educational (NCE) and considered public broadcasting . To avoid concentration of media ownership of television stations, government regulations in most countries generally limit the ownership of television stations by television networks or other media operators, but these regulations vary considerably. Some countries have set up nationwide television networks, in which individual television stations act as mere repeaters of nationwide programs . In those countries,

2583-470: Is broadcast via terrestrial radio waves. A group of television stations with common ownership or affiliation are known as a TV network and an individual station within the network is referred to as O&O or affiliate , respectively. Because television station signals use the electromagnetic spectrum, which in the past has been a common, scarce resource, governments often claim authority to regulate them. Broadcast television systems standards vary around

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2706-503: Is managed within the company's majority-owned subsidiary, Opry Entertainment Group. The renovation of the Ryman, combined with the construction of other attractions such as Bridgestone Arena and Wildhorse Saloon , helped revitalize Nashville's downtown district into a destination for tourists and locals alike in the mid-1990s. Since then, the Ryman has become one of the most venerable performance venues in Nashville. Performers have praised Ryman Auditorium's acoustics , calling them among

2829-792: Is often used for newscasts or other local programming . There is usually a news department , where journalists gather information. There is also a section where electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations are based, receiving remote broadcasts via remote pickup unit or satellite TV . Outside broadcasting vans, production trucks , or SUVs with electronic field production (EFP) equipment are sent out with reporters , who may also bring back news stories on video tape rather than sending them back live . To keep pace with technology United States television stations have been replacing operators with broadcast automation systems to increase profits in recent years. Some stations (known as repeaters or translators ) only simulcast another, usually

2952-439: Is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties , Inc. Ryman Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was later designated as a National Historic Landmark on June 25, 2001, for its pivotal role in the popularization of country music . A storied stage for Rock & Roll artists for decades, the Ryman was named a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2022. The auditorium opened as

3075-543: The Grand Ole Opry 60th-anniversary celebration, CBS aired a special program that featured some of the Opry' s legendary stars performing at the Ryman. While the auditorium was dormant, major motion pictures continued to be filmed on location there, including John Carpenter 's Elvis (1979), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980 – Loretta Lynn Oscar-winning biopic), Sweet Dreams (1985 – story of Patsy Cline ), and Clint Eastwood 's Honkytonk Man (1982). A 1979 television special, Dolly & Carol in Nashville , included

3198-571: The Manchester United – Chelsea Premier League match and instead aired Poppy Cat from the NBC Kids block. This triggered negative responses from social media. WSMV-TV broadcasts 53 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with nine hours each weekday and four hours each on Saturdays and Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest local newscast output among all broadcast television stations in

3321-577: The Meredith Corporation . WSMV was not part of the affiliation deal between several Meredith stations and CBS (which included Meredith's only other NBC affiliate at the time, WNEM-TV in Bay City, Michigan ) because the purchase was announced after the affiliation deal had been finalized. As a result, WSMV became the only NBC affiliate in Meredith's portfolio until their 2021 sale. In early March 2009, it

3444-535: The Morgantown ( Butler County ) and Brownsville ( Edmonson County ) areas. The Glasgow Electric Plant Board also still carried WSMV and its associated subchannels on their lineup until WNKY claimed market exclusivity on that system in terms of NBC and CBS affiliates in late 2017. Mediacom also carries WSMV on its systems in Hart and Metcalfe Counties (including Munfordville and Edmonton , respectively). In addition to

3567-517: The Opry to a modern home, told The Washington Post in 1974, "Most of my memories of the Ryman Auditorium are of misery, sweating out here on this stage, the audience suffering too... We've been shackled all of my career." Acuff notably hated the dressing room situation at the Ryman so much that he bought a nearby building just to have a bigger one. A life-sized statue of Acuff (alongside one of Sarah Cannon as Minnie Pearl) has been installed in

3690-447: The Opry' s storied past, a large circle was cut from the floor of the Ryman stage and inlaid into the center of the new Opry stage. In another traditional holdover, the new Opry House was also designed to feature pew seating, although (unlike the Ryman) they are cushioned. Eventually and without fanfare, the building downtown resumed using the Ryman Auditorium name to differentiate it from

3813-519: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame showcasing the venue's influence in the rock genre, as well as the Soul of Nashville , a short holographic film that serves as the first stop on the tour. Situated in an immersive 100-seat theatre, the film features an actress portraying Lula C. Naff in presenting the history of the Ryman. It also features an original song performed by Darius Rucker , Sheryl Crow , Vince Gill , and

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3936-766: The Tennessee Titans . The station also aired Nashville Predators games via NBC 's broadcast contract with the NHL that lasted until 2021; this includes the team's appearance in the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals . From 1987 until March 2002, WSMV-TV was the primary Nashville home to syndicated Southeastern Conference football and men's basketball games originating from Jefferson Pilot Sports , but sharing some broadcasts with WZTV (channel 17) from 1987 to 1990, and WXMT (channel 30, now MyNetworkTV affiliate WUXP ) from 1990 onward. All of those games moved to WUXP in 2002, and stayed with that station until 2009, when Raycom Sports lost

4059-477: The Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. Its construction was spearheaded by Thomas Ryman (1843–1904), a Nashville businessman who owned several saloons and a fleet of riverboats . Ryman conceived the idea of the auditorium as a tabernacle for the influential revivalist Samuel Porter Jones . He had attended one of Jones' 1885 tent revivals with the intent to heckle, but was instead converted into

4182-405: The broadcast range , or geographic area, that the station is limited to, allocates the broadcast frequency of the radio spectrum for that station's transmissions, sets limits on what types of television programs can be programmed for broadcast and requires a station to broadcast a minimum amount of certain programs types, such as public affairs messages . Another form of television station

4305-534: The electricity bill and emergency backup generators . In North America , full-power stations on band I (channels 2 to 6) are generally limited to 100 kW analog video ( VSB ) and 10 kW analog audio ( FM ), or 45 kW digital ( 8VSB ) ERP. Stations on band III (channels 7 to 13) can go up by 5 dB to 316 kW video, 31.6 kW audio, or 160 kW digital. Low-VHF stations are often subject to long-distance reception just as with FM. There are no stations on Channel 1 . UHF , by comparison, has

4428-584: The 1970s with varying degrees of success). WKRN is the only traditional network affiliate in the Nashville market to run only a half-hour of news at 6 p.m., with Wheel of Fortune (hosted by former WSM personality Pat Sajak from 1981 to 2024) airing at 6:30. In the early 1980s, WSMV introduced the Snowbird character, a scarf- and earmuff-wearing anthropomorphic penguin , as a brand for its weather-related school closing reports. Snowbird appears on-air in both animated and puppet form. Snowbird reports are shown on

4551-557: The 1970s. WSMV's historical monopoly in providing NBC programming for that area over-the-air and on local cable systems ended on March 27, 2001, when WKNT (channel 40, now WNKY ) was forced to drop its Fox network affiliation due to that station's violation of the terms in its affiliation agreement. Immediately after losing Fox, that station became an NBC affiliate as it was renamed as WNKY, causing many Bowling Green area cable systems to drop WSMV. However, even after WNKY switched to NBC in 2001, WSMV remains on Mediacom cable systems serving

4674-451: The 1980s amid the gradual increase of the launches of new national cable channels. The Nashville stations were once seen as far south as Decatur . Television station The Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow ( TV Station Paul Nipkow ) in Berlin , Germany , was the first regular television service in the world. It was on the air from 22 March 1935, until it was shut down in 1944. The station

4797-469: The 1994 expansion was gutted and remodeled. The original building received only minor touch-ups and remained in use throughout the construction. The renovation and expansion includes more lobby space, plus expanded restrooms, concessions, and a retail shop. A new quick-service restaurant was added, called "Cafe Lula" and named in memory of Lula C. Naff . The cafe closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and

4920-453: The Archive to record special programs such as these or local Nashville programming, these probably represent the only known broadcasts of WSM-TV news before 1980 or so available for public viewing, prior to the widespread popularity of consumer-level video cassette recorders in the late 1970s. The only other ones were local cut-ins to NBC coverage of national elections. Because of the equipment at

5043-559: The Knob Road facility and/or its personnel was, from time to time, used for the recording of network and syndicated programs featuring Nashville-based performers. This was especially the case during the 1960s and 1970s. Most if not all of these shows were packaged by Show Biz, Inc., headquartered in Nashville and a subsidiary of Holiday Inn . Show Biz, Inc. produced The Porter Wagoner Show , That Nashville Music , The Bill Anderson Show , Dolly! and several other programs seen throughout

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5166-537: The May sweeps period that began on April 26, 2007, WSMV debuted its own news helicopter known as Air 4 , becoming the second station in Nashville to do so (WTVF's news helicopter Sky 5 debuted a year earlier, in 2006). On September 15, 2008, beginning with the 5 p.m. newscast, WSMV became the second television station in Nashville (after WTVF) to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition . On May 26, 2011, WSMV debuted an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, serving as

5289-676: The Nash Ramblers performed three acoustic concerts at the dilapidated building, during which no one was allowed to sit on or beneath the balcony due to safety concerns. Capacity was limited to around 200. Some of the recordings were released as an album entitled At the Ryman , which won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993. The concerts and album's high acclaim are given near-universal credit for renewed interest in reviving Ryman Auditorium as an active venue. The Ryman hosted

5412-541: The Nashville market. WSM-TV's news department was the first in the United States to receive satellite photographs when it first used them in 1964. Beginning in the mid-1970s, WSM-TV developed a strong news division that, in the 1980s through the 1990s, won numerous regional and national awards ( Peabody Awards among them) for in-depth and investigative reporting. Mike Kettenring was the news director for much of that period along with Alan Griggs and Al Tompkins. For most of

5535-465: The Opry House in 1966 to maintain its functionality, but soon began making plans to move the Opry to a new location altogether. Despite the building's deteriorating condition, the lack of air conditioning , and the abundance of unsavory surroundings in its urban neighborhood, the show's increasing popularity often attracted crowds too large to fit inside the venue. Plans announced in 1969 centered around

5658-537: The Opryland USA theme park in 2000) next door to the Grand Ole Opry House. The Opry returned to the Ryman annually for all of its November, December, and January shows until 2019–20. This enabled the production to acknowledge its roots while taking advantage of a smaller venue during the off-peak season for tourism. It also freed the Grand Ole Opry House for special holiday presentations. The Ryman also served as

5781-610: The Opryland theme park and the Opryland Hotel . The amusement park opened on May 27, 1972, and the new venue (also called the Grand Ole Opry House ) debuted on Saturday, March 16, 1974 . The last Opry show at the Ryman occurred the previous evening, on Friday, March 15. The final shows downtown were emotional. Sarah Cannon, performing as Minnie Pearl , broke character and cried on stage. In an effort to maintain continuity with

5904-586: The Ryman each summer. Due to the scheduling of concerts postponed during the pandemic, those Opry spin-off shows were canceled or moved to the Grand Ole Opry House in 2021. As COVID-19 hit Nashville, live music at the Ryman briefly came to a halt, until the venue launched the Livestream concert series, "Live at the Ryman" in August 2020. For King & Country , Cam , Chris Janson , Scotty McCreery , Brett Young , and Old Crow Medicine Show put on Friday night shows from

6027-426: The Ryman hosted an extended residency of the original musical Always... Patsy Cline, which starred Mandy Barnett in the titular role about the life of the legendary singer . On Sunday, October 18, 1998, the Opry held a benefit show at Ryman Auditorium, marking its return to the venue for the first time since its final show on March 15, 1974. The show was well received by fans, performers, and management alike, so

6150-517: The Ryman in 1935. He concluded that the Ryman was "full of bad workmanship and contains nothing of value as a theater worth restoring." Mielziner suggested the auditorium be razed and replaced with a modern theater. But Waugh's plans were met with resounding resistance from the public, including many influential musicians of the time. Architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable ridiculed the decision in The New York Times , writing: "First prize for

6273-447: The Ryman stage for a completely digital audience. Ultimately, Bluegrass Nights returned to the Ryman in 2021 and Opry at the Ryman returned in January 2023. Opry Country Classics has remained at the Grand Ole Opry House, except for a yearly matinee during CMA Fest in June.  The Ryman has welcomed a wide variety of talent since its inception. In recent years, Wu-Tang Clan made history as

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6396-471: The Ryman stage. The Ryman is open for tours during daytime hours when the performance venue is not in active use. Guided tours include access to backstage facilities, while self-guided tours feature exhibits displayed in cases throughout the auditorium, which are shielded from view when the building is being used for a show. Permanent exhibits include the Rock Hall At The Ryman, a collaboration with

6519-416: The Ryman stage. The Ryman features prominently in the music video of the 2021 song "Where Have You Gone" by Alan Jackson . On May 26, 2022, the Ryman officially became a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. Later that year, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame partnered with the Ryman to transform a wing of the building into a tour feature dedicated to rock history in Nashville. "Rock Hall at the Ryman" opened to

6642-549: The Ryman's first hip-hop headliner; the Ryman welcomed its first headlining drag queens, Trixie and Katya; and the venue hosted its first comedy residency in August, 2022, with comedian John Mulaney doing four stand-up shows in three nights. Ryman Auditorium has hosted several notable residencies including a string of 10 shows from Little Big Town in 2017 that took place as part of the Ryman's 125th anniversary celebration. In 2022 alone, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Vince Gill (solo), Jason Isbell, and Brett Eldredge all held residencies at

6765-562: The Ryman.  In 2018, the Ryman was named the most iconic structure in Tennessee by Architectural Digest. The Ryman has been named Pollstar's Theater of the Year 13 times and was named the Academy of Country Music's Theater of the Year in 2022. The Academy of County Music Awards, Americana Music Association Awards, Nashville Songwriter Awards, and several other industry award ceremonies have taken place on

6888-627: The U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking another large portion of this band (channels 52 to 69) away, in contrast to the rest of the world, which has been taking VHF instead. This means that some stations left on VHF are harder to receive after the analog shutdown . Since at least 1974, there are no stations on channel 37 in North America for radio astronomy purposes. Most television stations are commercial broadcasting enterprises which are structured in

7011-572: The United States, especially on stations in the South and rural Midwest . The company dissolved in the late 1970s when its president, Jane Grams, became vice president and general manager of WTVC-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee . However, the Show Biz programs were seen on some stations well into the early 1980s. Since 2006, channel 4 airs any Sunday Night Football games that involve the market's NFL team,

7134-555: The air of WSM-TV a special broadcast of Today aimed toward veterans of the Vietnam War returning home to the U.S. Two months later, on May 1, another broadcast of Today was recorded concerning the Watergate scandal . On both of these broadcasts, Pat Sajak , who had recently joined the WSM radio and TV staff, anchored the five-minute cut-in local newscasts. As it was not the general policy of

7257-787: The alley to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and other bars, where they drank alongside patrons and sometimes performed. This practice enhanced the popularity and appeal of the honky-tonk bars along Nashville's Lower Broadway . The Ryman through the mid-1960s hosted many musicians: Marian Anderson in 1932, Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in 1945, Little Jimmy Dickens in 1948, Hank Williams in 1949, The Carter Sisters with Mother Maybelle Carter in 1950, Elvis in 1954, Johnny Cash in 1956, trumpeter Louis Armstrong in 1957, Patsy Cline in 1960, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs (bluegrass) in 1964, and Minnie Pearl in 1964. Prior to September 27, 1963, Ryman Auditorium had no singular owner; it

7380-412: The auditorium would be a perfect venue for such an audience. They began renting the venue to WSM for its shows. The Grand Ole Opry was first broadcast from the Ryman on June 5, 1943, and it originated there every week for nearly 31 years thereafter. Every show sold out, and hundreds of fans were often turned away. During its tenure at Ryman Auditorium, the Opry hosted the major country music stars of

7503-493: The balcony, the Ryman's capacity rose to 6,000. In 2017, the "Confederate Gallery" plaque was removed and replaced with one that reads "1892 Ryman Auditorium." A stage was added in 1901 that reduced the capacity to just over 3,000. Though the building was designed as a house of worship – a purpose it continued to serve throughout most of its early years – it was often leased to promoters for nonreligious events in an effort to pay off its debts and remain open. In 1904, Lula C. Naff ,

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7626-445: The best in the world. The Ryman was unharmed in the 2010 Tennessee floods and the 2020 Nashville bombing , both of which resulted in major damage to parts of the downtown neighborhood. In January 2012 plans were announced to replace the Ryman's 61-year-old stage with one of medium-brown Brazilian teak . The new stage floor, the facility's third, retained an 18-inch lip of its predecessor's blonde oak at its front edge, similar to

7749-566: The canceled Wendy Williams Show . The station's former staff include Pat Sajak ( announcer and weekend weatherman from 1974 to 1977), Robin Roberts (sports anchor and reporter from 1986 to 1988), John Tesh ( news anchor from 1975 to 1976), John Seigenthaler Jr. (weekend anchor in the late 1980s) and Huell Howser (features reporter in the 1970s). Ralph Emery , the longtime country music disc jockey on WSM radio for many years, hosted morning (and at times, afternoon) shows on channel 4 from

7872-406: The city's largest indoor gathering place kept the Ryman at the forefront of Nashville's consciousness and enhanced the city's reputation as a cultural center for the performing arts, even as the building began to age. Harry Houdini in 1924, W.C. Fields , Will Rogers in 1925, Charlie Chaplin , Bob Hope with Doris Day in 1949, and John Philip Sousa (among others) performed at the venue over

7995-709: The communities of Princeton and Marion , along with the village of Fredonia . All of those areas are also within the Paducah/Cape Girardeau market, which is the home market to fellow NBC affiliate WPSD-TV . WSMV was also previously available in some southern areas of the Evansville, Indiana , media market, mainly including northwestern Kentucky towns such as Madisonville , Central City , Beaver Dam , and Owensboro and their corresponding counties. The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer still lists WSMV on its TV listings page. Cable systems in those areas have since dropped

8118-405: The day and became a show known around the world. In addition to its home on WSM, portions of the show (at various times throughout its history) were also broadcast on network radio and television to a wider audience. Melding its then-current usage with the building's origins as a house of worship, the Ryman got the nickname "The Mother Church of Country Music", which it holds to this day. Because of

8241-535: The decision was made to host the Opry' s regular shows there on January 15 and 16, 1999, as part of the celebration to commemorate 25 years at the new venue. Given the success of the January shows that year, beginning in November 1999, the Opry was produced at Ryman Auditorium for three months. In addition, this enabled them to avoid performance conflicts from construction of the Opry Mills shopping mall (which replaced

8364-451: The downtown area. In September 1993, renovations were begun to develop it as a world-class concert hall. Building systems were upgraded, such as air conditioning for the first time. The auditorium's original wooden pews were removed, refurbished, and returned to the building to serve as the auditorium's seating. Both far-reaching ends of the U-shaped balcony (which had previously extended all

8487-439: The east side (Fourth Avenue North). An outdoor entry plaza was also added here, and a large statue of Thomas Ryman was installed. The first performance at the newly renovated Ryman was a broadcast of Garrison Keillor 's A Prairie Home Companion on June 4, 1994. Keillor said he was inspired to create A Prairie Home Companion while reporting on the final Opry show at the Ryman in 1974 for The New Yorker . Following that,

8610-663: The existence of WNBJ-LD in Jackson, WSMV remains on WK&T Telecom's cable system in Gibson County , in the northernmost area of the Jackson market. WSMV is also still available on cable in Carroll County as well. At sometime from 1957 until the 1980s, cable television systems in northern Alabama, including Knology (now Wide Open West ) and TelePrompTer (later Group W Cable , now Comcast Xfinity ), carried all of Nashville's Big Three stations, only to be dropped from those systems in

8733-440: The four highest-rated stations in the Nashville market in total day viewership, the companies would have been required to sell either WSMV-TV or WKRN to comply with FCC ownership rules as well as recent changes to those rules regarding same-market television stations that restrict sharing agreements . On January 27, 2016, Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Media General. This resulted in

8856-420: The highest point available in the transmission area, such as on a summit , the top of a high skyscraper , or on a tall radio tower . To get a signal from the master control room to the transmitter, a studio/transmitter link (STL) is used. The link can be either by radio or T1 / E1 . A transmitter/studio link (TSL) may also send telemetry back to the station, but this may be embedded in subcarriers of

8979-461: The largest NBC affiliate in terms of market size to refuse to carry the controversial NBC show The Book of Daniel on its schedule, after the premiere episode. This action, along with that of several smaller affiliates in the Midwest and South, as well as low ratings, prompted NBC to cancel the series after only three episodes. On October 26, 2014, WSMV accidentally preempted parts of the first half of

9102-500: The last of the three major Nashville stations to do so. Larry Munson , WSM-TV's sports director from 1956 to 1967 and later known as the play-by-play announcer for radio broadcasts of Georgia Bulldogs football (and, for a time, the NFL's Atlanta Falcons ), created and hosted a long-running hunting and fishing show called The Rod & Gun Club . Paul Eells replaced Munson as sports director in 1967. Like his predecessor, Eells served as

9225-465: The last two decades, WSMV has been a solid runner-up to WTVF in the Nashville ratings. Generally speaking, the station takes a softer approach to news than WTVF. The reverse was true in the 1980s, as WSMV earned awards for hard-hitting investigative stories, while WTVF took a more cautious approach. While WTVF usually leads the way in the city of Nashville itself, WSMV generally leads in Nashville's more conservative suburbs, as well as outlying rural parts of

9348-402: The lobby of the preserved Ryman Auditorium. Members of historic preservation groups argued that WSM, Inc. (and Acuff, by proxy) exaggerated the Ryman's poor condition, saying the company was worried that attachment to the old building would hurt business at the new Opry House. Preservationists emphasized the building's importance to regional religious history and gained traction for their case as

9471-501: The local country music radio program known as the Grand Ole Opry (originally called the WSM Barn Dance ) became a Nashville institution. Broadcast over clear-channel AM radio station WSM , it could be heard in 30 states across the eastern part of the nation. Although not originally a stage show, the Opry began to attract listeners from around the region who would go to the WSM studio to see it live. When crowds got too large for

9594-400: The local television station has no station identification and, from a consumer's point of view, there is no practical distinction between a network and a station, with only small regional changes in programming, such as local television news . To broadcast its programs, a television station requires operators to operate equipment, a transmitter or radio antenna , which is often located at

9717-419: The main broadcast. Stations which retransmit or simulcast another may simply pick-up that station over-the-air , or via STL or satellite. The license usually specifies which other station it is allowed to carry. VHF stations often have very tall antennas due to their long wavelength , but require much less effective radiated power (ERP), and therefore use much less transmitter power output , also saving on

9840-524: The market, many of whose residents recall readily the station's past association with WSM-AM. In recent years, however, ABC affiliate WKRN has steadily increased its ratings, particularly in the evening and late newscasts. In the November 2017 sweeps, WKRN passed WSMV as runner-up in the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, and tied WSMV for second place in the 10 p.m. newscast. On March 5, 1973, the Vanderbilt Television News Archive recorded off

9963-419: The mid-1960s until 1993; for much of that time, The Ralph Emery Show was the highest-rated locally produced early morning shows on American television. Although the show included regular news briefs, its main focus was on general entertainment, including a heavy emphasis on live country music performed in studio. It featured acts by prominent country stars like Tex Ritter and current star Lorrie Morgan ; also,

10086-476: The morning newscasts in 2014 after working in the sports department for 40 years. He was the second sportscaster in Nashville to move to anchoring the morning news in the past year. He retired in November 2017, after 43 years with channel 4. Longtime anchor Demetria Kalodimos was let go after her contract expired at the end of 2017. The station's signal is multiplexed : WSMV-TV ended regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 4, on June 12, 2009,

10209-401: The new Grand Ole Opry House. When the plans for Opryland USA were announced, WSM president Irving Waugh also revealed the company's intent to demolish the Ryman and use its materials to construct a chapel called "The Little Church of Opryland" at the amusement park. Waugh brought in a consultant to evaluate the building, noted theatrical producer Jo Mielziner , who had staged a production at

10332-614: The official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10, using virtual channel 4. For its first 50 years on the air, WSMV had been the default NBC affiliate of record for the Bowling Green media market in south-central Kentucky , since it did not have an NBC affiliate of its own, especially after Arbitron first assigned Bowling Green into its own media market in 1977 following

10455-578: The original WSM-FM (103.3; shut down in 1951); the AM station is renowned for broadcasts of the country music show The Grand Ole Opry , which has been heard on the station since 1925. The station took its call letters from its parent's slogan, "We Shield Millions". The television station has been an NBC affiliate from its sign-on, although it also carried some programming from CBS , DuMont , and ABC . Its secondary affiliation with CBS ended in 1953, when WSIX-TV (channel 8, now WKRN-TV on channel 2) signed on as

10578-420: The period during which it was constructed and because it was not designed to be a performance venue, the Ryman lacked a true backstage area. It had only one dressing room for the men, and women were relegated to an inadequate ladies' restroom. The shortage of space forced performers to wait in the wings, the narrow hallways, and the alley behind the building's south wall. Thus, many performers often ventured across

10701-424: The pious misuse of a landmark, and a total misunderstanding of the principles of preservation. Gentlemen, for shame." (She had won a Pulitzer Prize for her writing.) However, Roy Acuff , an Opry stalwart and a major stakeholder of Opryland USA, reportedly said, "I never want another note of music played in that building." He led the unsuccessful charge to tear down the Ryman. Acuff, a staunch supporter of moving

10824-553: The primary venue for the Opry in the summer of 2010, while the Grand Ole Opry House was undergoing repairs after damage from a devastating flood . The annual winter season at the Ryman was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , during which the Opry performed abbreviated shows for broadcast in front of an empty Grand Ole Opry House. The Winter Ryman residency was not revived in 2021 although pandemic-related attendance restrictions were lifted. Opry shows returned to Ryman for

10947-476: The programmes seen on its owner's flagship station, and have no television studio or production facilities of their own. This is common in developing countries . Low-power stations typically also fall into this category worldwide. Most stations which are not simulcast produce their own station identifications . TV stations may also advertise on or provide weather (or news) services to local radio stations , particularly co-owned sister stations . This may be

11070-493: The public on Nov. 2, 2022, and includes artifacts from artists including Elvis Presley, James Brown, Joan Jett, Foo Fighters and Dolly Parton. The Ryman has also served as a gathering place for the memorial services of many prominent country music figures. Tammy Wynette , Chet Atkins , Skeeter Davis , Harlan Howard , Bill Monroe , Waylon Jennings , Johnny Cash , Billy Block, George Hamilton IV , Earl Scruggs , Jim Ed Brown , and Naomi Judd have all been memorialized from

11193-416: The remainder of WSM, Inc. nearly two years later, in 1983. Soon afterward, the radio stations moved out of the Knob Road facility into new studios on the Opryland Hotel campus. WSMV-TV was sold on June 8, 1989, to Cook Inlet Television Partners, an Alaska -based company which was a subsidiary of Cook Inlet Region, Inc. , an Alaska Native Regional Corporation . Cook Inlet sold WSMV on January 5, 1995, to

11316-566: The south Nashville building, where that station remained until 1976. WSM-TV was the first station in Nashville to begin broadcasting in color in 1965. In 1974, NL&AI reorganized itself as a holding company , NLT Corporation, with the WSM stations (by then including a new WSM-FM at 95.5) as a major subsidiary. Beginning in 1980, Houston -based insurer American General –which owned the WLAC stations until 1975–began purchasing blocks of NLT stock, eventually becoming NLT's largest shareholder and setting

11439-607: The staff as a weather reporter and morning news anchor. He briefly worked as a weekend news anchor in 1976 before moving into his role leading the weather team in 1977. His unique style and personality made him one of Middle Tennessee's most well known local television personalities. He punctuated his weather discussions with comments about gardening, cooking, and hunting and fishing. During his channel 4 career, Hall also hosted Land and Lakes, an outdoors show focusing on local hunting and fishing adventures. Hall retired in 2005, and later died on December 23, 2011. Rudy Kalis began anchoring

11562-623: The stage for an outright takeover. However, American General was not interested in NLT's non-insurance businesses. It opted to sell off the broadcasting interests, the Grand Ole Opry, the then-decrepit Ryman Auditorium , and the now-defunct Opryland USA . Gillett Broadcasting (operated by George N. Gillett Jr. ) bought WSM-TV on November 3, 1981, and changed the station's callsign to WSMV on the same day (officially modified to WSMV-TV on July 15, 1982). The new callsign allowed channel 4 to continue trading on

11685-476: The station attempted to a build a larger tower in west Nashville, near Charlotte Avenue. During the construction process, the new tower's supporting wires failed. This caused the tower to collapse, which took the lives of several people. Afterward, WSM-TV purchased its present property on Knob Road (farther west than the previous site, and allowable since WMCT in Memphis had switched to channel 5 from channel 4) and built

11808-517: The station launched a heavily localized imaging campaign, reviving the "Nashville's Station" nickname, and inviting viewers to "Come On Back" after years of ratings losses. In December 2023, the NBC Peacock was removed from WSMV's logo as part of a company-wide initiative within Gray to strip network marks from station logos. The WSM stations' close ties to Nashville's country music business has meant that

11931-634: The station making Evansville NBC affiliate and sister station WFIE the sole NBC affiliate on cable and over-the-air in those areas. WSMV, along with WMC-TV in Memphis, was historically carried on cable systems in the Jackson, Tennessee , market on the Jackson Energy Authority's EPlus Broadband system. In November 2014, WSMV was dropped from that cable system when WNBJ-LD (channel 39) signed on as that area's own NBC affiliate. WNBJ replaced WSMV on JEA channel 4, with WMC-TV being left intact. In spite of

12054-921: The station primarily in the winter, but the branding is also used for unexpected school closings caused by other natural and man-made events, not necessarily limited to snow and ice. Due to the character's popularity, Snowbird serves as a year-round mascot for the station, with a six-foot (1.8 m)-tall costumed version making appearances at community events and station promotions. The station has also engaged in giving away Snowbird-themed apparel and tchotchkes as prizes during sweeps promotions. The Snowbird character has since been licensed to television stations in other markets, including WMC-TV in Memphis, WRCB in Chattanooga, WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, West Virginia , and WTOV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio , all NBC affiliates. During

12177-706: The station's cable coverage in south central Kentucky, WSMV-TV, and the other two " Big Three " stations are also carried in Murray, Kentucky , in the Paducah, Kentucky – Cape Girardeau, Missouri – Harrisburg, Illinois media market, via Murray Electric Systems. WK&T Cable also carries both WSMV and WTVF on its cable lineup for its customers in Calloway County . WSMV, along with WTVF, are also available to Mediacom's customers in Caldwell and Crittenden counties, respectively including

12300-427: The station's news graphics and music were updated. On August 18, 2022, it was reported that WSMV would drop all syndicated programming and air expanded newscasts and locally produced programming outside of network hours. On September 5, 2022, WSMV became the first station in Nashville to offer local news at 3 p.m., while also expanding its midday newscast to two hours, and moving Today in Nashville to 2 p.m., replacing

12423-411: The structure. Exceeding its construction budget, the tabernacle opened US$ 20,000 (equivalent to $ 678,222 in 2023) in debt. Jones sought to name the tabernacle in Ryman's honor, but Ryman denied the request several times. When Ryman died in 1904, his memorial service was held at the tabernacle, with Jones officiating. During the service, Jones proposed the building be renamed as Ryman Auditorium, which

12546-484: The studio band consisted of top-notch Music Row session musicians. Emery would achieve widespread fame by hosting a national version of the show, entitled Nashville Now , weeknights on The Nashville Network from 1983 to 1993. Upon Emery's retirement, WSMV briefly produced a local version of NBC's Today to serve as a lead-in to the national show. As Nashville Today failed to live up to expectations, WSMV finally programmed full-scale newscasts in early mornings, becoming

12669-548: The studio, in 1934 WSM began broadcasting the show from the Hillsboro Theatre (now Belcourt Theatre ). The Opry moved to East Nashville 's Dixie Tabernacle in 1936 and then to War Memorial Auditorium in 1939. After four years – and several reports of upholstery damage caused by its rowdy crowds – the Opry was asked to leave War Memorial and sought a new home yet again. Thanks to Ryman Auditorium's wooden pews and central location, Naff and other institution leaders thought

12792-455: The success and growth of that area's ABC affiliate (and now sister station) WBKO , which, until 1989, was the only commercial television station in the Bowling Green area at the time. The station, as WSM-TV, once applied to set up a low-powered translator on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green in 1968 as part of an arrangement with the University; it lasted a short time in

12915-617: The syndication rights to ESPN Regional Television . WUXP carried ESPN Plus-oriented SEC TV until 2014, when the SEC Network was launched. In 1982, WSMV dropped the Tonight Show to air sitcom reruns such as Three's Company , Alice , Barney Miller , Family Ties , and Rosie . NBC was able to get the show on in Nashville on then- independent station (now Fox affiliate) WZTV. WSMV re-added The Tonight Show in January 1989. In early 2006, WSMV attracted some attention by becoming

13038-494: The termination of the acquisition of Meredith by Media General. On May 3, 2021, Gray Television announced its intent to purchase the Meredith Local Media division for $ 2.7 billion. The sale was completed on December 1. Gray also immediately changed the station's positioning from "News 4" to "WSMV 4" and implemented a new graphics scheme, resulting in the 4 logo switching from primarily black to primarily white. In 2022,

13161-487: The time, though, the broadcasts were recorded in black and white. The Archive, prior to the advent of satellite technology in the 1980s, taped all NBC News broadcasts from the airwaves of WSM(V). In September 1973, WSM-TV decided to fill the 6:30–7 p.m. time slot opened up by the Prime Time Access Rule in 1971 by expanding its 6 p.m. newscast to one hour. This has proven so successful that to this day WSMV programs

13284-715: The voice of the Vanderbilt Commodores football team during his time at WSM. Eells left to become the sports director at KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1978. There, he also served as radio play-by-play announcer for the Arkansas Razorbacks for 28 years until his death in 2006. Munson died in 2011. Dan Miller was co-anchor of the main evening newscasts for nearly 40 years, except from August 1986 to March 1995. During this period, Miller spent time in Los Angeles as

13407-461: The way the Ryman stage had been commemorated with an inlaid circle of wood at the new Opry House. The stage's original hickory support beams were reinforced with concrete foundations, crossbeams, and joist work that helped triple the stage's load capacity, ensuring it would remain viable for performances in the decades to come. In 2015, the Ryman underwent another US$ 14,000,000 (equivalent to $ 17,995,788 in 2023) renovation and expansion. Much of

13530-405: The way to the building's south wall) were removed. New backstage facilities were built inside the original building. An addition containing a lobby, restrooms, concessions, offices, and a grand staircase leading to the balcony was constructed and attached to the east side of the auditorium. With this change, the Ryman's main entrance was moved from the west side of the building (Fifth Avenue North) to

13653-405: The well-known WSM calls while at the same time separating it from its former radio sisters. The change was brought on due to an FCC rule in place at that time forbidding TV and radio stations in the same city but with different owners from sharing the same call letters. However, channel 4 would later engage in news department cross promotions with WSM-AM-FM. Gaylord Entertainment Company purchased

13776-399: The world. Television stations broadcasting over an analog system were typically limited to one television channel , but digital television enables broadcasting via subchannels as well. Television stations usually require a broadcast license from a government agency which sets the requirements and limitations on the station. In the United States, for example, a television license defines

13899-449: The years, earning the Ryman the nickname "The Carnegie Hall of the South". The Ryman also hosted lectures by U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in 1907 and 1911, respectively. Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso appeared in concert there in 1919. It also hosted the inaugurations of three governors of the state of Tennessee . The first event to sell out the Ryman

14022-533: Was Nashville's first television station and the second in Tennessee, behind fellow NBC affiliate WMCT (now sister station WMC-TV , then also on channel 4) in Memphis . As a result of the WSM-TV sign-on, WMCT was forced to switch to channel 5 to avoid co-channel interference. WSM-TV was owned by WSM, Inc., a subsidiary of the locally based National Life and Accident Insurance Company , which also owned WSM radio (650 AM) and

14145-711: Was a lecture by Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy in 1913. While being a trailblazer for working women, Naff also championed the cause of racial diversity. The building was used as a regular venue for the Fisk Jubilee Singers (they performed there in 1913) from nearby Fisk University , a historically black college . The state's Jim Crow laws required Ryman audiences to be segregated, with some shows designated for "White Audiences Only" and others for "Colored Audiences Only". But period photographs show that, in practice, Ryman audiences were often integrated. Naff retired in 1955 and died in 1960. After debuting in 1925,

14268-427: Was acquired in a hostile takeover bid by American General Insurance , the building was included in the sale of all the WSM and Opryland properties to Oklahoma-based Gaylord Broadcasting Company for US$ 250,000,000 (equivalent to $ 764,784,497 in 2023). (The WSM assets were organized into a subsidiary holding company called Opryland USA, Inc., which would change its name to Gaylord Entertainment Company following

14391-406: Was an independent entity governed by a board of directors. That changed when WSM, Inc., purchased the building for US$ 207,500 (equivalent to $ 2,065,076 in 2023). When WSM assumed total control of the auditorium, it renamed the building as the Grand Ole Opry House . Many people continued to refer to it by the familiar Ryman name, well-known after 60 years in use. WSM financed minor upgrades to

14514-461: Was announced that WSMV's master control operations would be hubbed at Meredith-owned sister station WGCL-TV (now WANF ) in Atlanta . The new hub operation launched in summer 2009. On September 8, 2015, Media General announced that it would acquire Meredith for $ 2.4 billion, with the combined group to be renamed Meredith Media General. Because Media General owned WKRN-TV, and the two stations rank among

14637-480: Was another TV station in town. This problem was solved by the station running a private microwave relay transmission from fellow NBC affiliate and now sister station WAVE-TV in Louisville, Kentucky ; this was the longest privately-operated microwave relay link at the time. WSM-TV's studios were originally located at 15th Avenue South and Compton Avenue in south Nashville, near the present Belmont University . In 1957,

14760-572: Was met with the overwhelming approval of the attendees. Jones died less than two years later in 1906. The building was originally designed to contain a balcony, but a lack of funds delayed its completion. The balcony was built and opened in time for the 1897 gathering of the United Confederate Veterans , with funds provided by members of the group. As a result, the balcony was once called the Confederate Gallery. Upon completion of

14883-535: Was named after Paul Gottlieb Nipkow , the inventor of the Nipkow disk . Most often the term "television station" refers to a station which broadcasts structured content to an audience or it refers to the organization that operates the station. A terrestrial television transmission can occur via analog television signals or, more recently, via digital television signals. Television stations are differentiated from cable television or other video providers as their content

15006-406: Was not reopened. An expanded retail shop selling Ryman memorabilia opened in its place in 2023. The previous retail shop was then converted to a VIP lounge. Prior to the pandemic, Opry Entertainment Group held regular shows at the Ryman year-round. In addition to the Opry at the Ryman shows in the winter, the auditorium hosted Opry Country Classics each spring and autumn, and Bluegrass Nights at

15129-420: Was ultimately saved from demolition, although no active efforts were made to improve its condition. Following the departure of the Opry , the Ryman failed to attract new performers. It was mostly vacant and deteriorating for nearly 20 years. In that period, the surrounding neighborhood also declined. Despite its regressing condition and the absence of performances, Ryman Auditorium was never closed. It remained

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