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| Broadcast area | Middle Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 650 kHz |
| Branding | 650 AM WSM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country music; Americana; bluegrass music |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | October 5, 1925[1] |
Former frequencies | |
Call sign meaning | "We Shield Millions" (slogan of former owner, National Life & Accident Insurance Company) |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 74066 |
| Class | A |
| Power | 50,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°59′50″N 86°47′32″W / 35.99722°N 86.79222°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | |
| Website | wsmradio |
WSM (650 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station, located in Nashville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a country music format (with classic country and Americana leanings, the latter of which is branded as "Route 650") and is known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running radio program.[4] The station is owned Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.[5] After nearly 40 years broadcasting from a studio within the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, WSM moved to a showcase studio inside the former home of Roy Acuff, just outside the Grand Ole Opry House, in July 2024.
Nicknamed "The Air Castle of the South", the station broadcasts with 50,000 watts around the clock from a facility in Brentwood, Tennessee. It has one of the largest daytime coverage areas in the country, providing at least grade B coverage as far southeast as Chattanooga, as far northwest as Evansville, Indiana, as far west as Jackson, Tennessee and as far south as Huntsville, Alabama. At night, WSM's clear channel signal reaches much of North America and nearby countries.
WSM reaches a worldwide audience via its Internet simulcast. It is the National Primary Entry Point (PEP) for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in Middle Tennessee and the southwestern portion of Indiana.
- ^ "Getting on the Opry", PBS. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ "History Cards for WSM". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WSM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Gevinson, Alan. Broadcasting Longevity (Teachinghistory.org). Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (April 4, 2022). "'Grand Ole Opry' Owner Sells Minority Stake to Atairos and NBCUniversal for Nearly $300 Million". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.