A Grand Ole outcry
Potential format change for WSM hits wrong note with fans
By Ken Kerschbaumer -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/13/2002 7:00:00 PM
WSM(AM) Nashville, Tenn., home of the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts since 1925, is looking at a format change that could eliminate the show from the schedule. But the idea has country-music fans singing the blues.
Gaylord Communications, owner of the station, is looking at an all-sports talk format to help stem losses; last year, the station says, it lost $1.5 million, and it has been in the red in other years, too. Beth Peden, Gaylord director of communications, said, "Obviously, we have to do something to make it a good business while still making sure our listeners are happy."
The leak of a potential change has resulted in a public outcry in both Nashville social circles and the media. Last week, fans and some country stars picketed the station protesting the change.
Gaylord does promise to move the Opry to WSM-FM Nashville, but that will leave long-distance listeners of the 50,000-watt station relying on syndication deals, something Gaylord Communications is investigating.
The irony of the furor is, according to Craig Havighurst, music writer for local paper The Tennessean, WSM(AM) has been all-country since 1983. Previously, it was a mixed-fortmat station with the Opry broadcasts the country mainstay. "There has been country music on that station every Saturday night since 1925,'' he said. "And that's the core issue."
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