WMC Radio Station
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
Marker Inscription
WMC Radio Station Memphis' first full-service radio station began regularly scheduled broadcasting on January 20, 1923, from the top floor of this building, which was then the home of The Commercial Appeal newspaper. Listeners enjoyed a full range of musical expression along with news, sports, and information. On Jan. 23, 1927 WMC gave the Mid-South its first network programs when it affiliated with the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC). During the Mississippi River flood of 1927 and 1937, WMC broadcast 24-hour daily information for steamboats, disaster relief agencies and refugees. WMC Radio, AM 790 is now located at 1960 Union Avenue with stations WMC-FM and WMC-TV.
Erected by Shelby County Historical Society
The Story
Memphis entered the radio age on January 20, 1923, when WMC began regular broadcasts from the top floor of The Commercial Appeal's building, offering music, news, and sports across the Mid-South. In 1927 it joined the new NBC network, bringing national programming to the region, and during the catastrophic Mississippi River floods of 1927 and 1937 it broadcast around the clock for steamboats, refugees, and relief agencies. The station remains on the air today from Union Avenue.
Why it matters
It shows how early radio knit rural America into a national culture and became a lifeline in disaster.
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Related events
- · Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
- · Ohio and Mississippi flood of 1937
Themes & tags
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