A WINDOW THROUGH TIME
By Dan Miller
January 30, 2008
Walking the halls here at Channel 4, I always spot something that stirs up recollections of the history of this place.
When I first came here in 1969, this building on Knob Hill was home to WSM Radio, both AM and FM, as well as the TV station.
Various renovation projects over the years have changed much of the building... but there are plenty of little spots that remain basically the same.
For example, this photo shows the end of an upstairs hallway, near one of the rear entrances.
I recall walking through that door nearly 39 years ago.... standing there in that hallway, and looking through that same window into -- what was then -- WSM Radio’s Studio “A”.
On the other side of the glass, I saw the legendary Tex Ritter sitting with Ralph Emery, doing their late night radio show.
In the months that followed, while working the late shift, I probably spent too much time at night peering into that studio and listening to Ralph and his impressive guests.
Marty Robbins would show up on many nights, playing piano and chatting with Ralph and folks who’d call in.
On any given night, I might see Charley Pride, Tom T. Hall, George Morgan, Charlie Louvin, Jan Howard, Bill Anderson, Jim Ed Brown, Kitty Wells or any of a long list of country and Opry stars who’d drop by the chat and have their records played.
If you look very closely at that photo.... inside the window you can see meteorologist Lisa Spencer's face, peering out over the top of a shelf.
That's right.... the old radio studio is now our TV weather office where Lisa and our other meteorologists hang out and prepare their daily TV weathercasts.
I often wonder if they have any idea about the history of that room.
It was also Bill Hall’s office prior to his retirement.
In this next photo -- probably made in the late 1970's -- you get a rare glimpse of how the other side of that window used to look when it was WSM-AM's main studio.
That’s Al Voecks sitting behind the desk, with Tom Bryant on the right, during a broadcast of “All That’s News.”
That’s exactly the spot Ralph Emery and Tex Ritter would sit doing their late night show.
It's also the place Hal Durham, Pat Sajak, Charlie Chase, Grant Turner, Hairl Hensley, Keith Bilbrey, Tony Lyons and other familiar names would sit while doing their radio shows in the 70s.
These days, truthfully, I never stand in that hallway anymore, watching Lisa or Dan Thomas prepare their weather reports....
Of course, if they'd move that big, obtrusive yellow shelf, maybe I would.
Anyhow, there are lots of memories, and plenty of history, in this old building.
I’ll dig up more for you another time.
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