I read an article in the Nashville Business Journal yesterday about WSM 650 AM in Nashville, Tenn. For those who may not know, WSM is a clear channel station, meaning at 50,000 watts, it covers the Southeastern United States very easily by day and covers most of the North American Continent by night. WSM was at one time the flasgship station for country music. It is the home of the Grand Ole Opry, and features staples of traditional country music in its programming.
The article discussed how Gaylord Entertainment, the company that now owns WSM, is now free from all legal obligations and has given its management team the freedom to return WSM back to its roots. Over the past couple of decades, WSM's format became a classic country format. Now, WSM will move forward, welcoming new artists along side classic and traditional artists. One of the management team members was quoted as saying that WSM will get back to its roots of not only playing country music, but presenting country music, and the artists that play it, to their listeners. It's already beginning to pay off as well.
After years of being written off by critics as a radio museum which bled red ink on the balance sheets, WSM is now turning a profit. Why? Because they returned to their roots, not of going through the motions as a country station, but being the station that presents country music to the audience.
I wonder what would happen if we got back to our roots of presenting Christ to those we come into contact with? Would we once again see a resurgence, even as our critics write us off as being a museum to old time religion?
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