WMFS (AM)
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| City | Memphis, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Branding | ESPN 92.9 |
| Frequency | 680 kHz |
| First air date | 1925 (as WGBC) |
| Format | Sports |
| Power | 8,000 watts (Day) 5,000 watts (Night) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 34374 |
| Callsign meaning | Shared with simulcast WMFS-FM; also a disambiguation of previous WMPS callsign |
| Former callsigns | WGBC (1924-1937) WMPS (1937-1983) WKDJ (1983-1992) WEZI (1992-1993) WOGY (1993) WJCE (1993-2005) WWTQ (2005-2006) WSMB (2006-2009) |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio |
| Owner |
Entercom Communications (Entercom License, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WMFS-FM |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | espn929.com |
WMFS (680 AM) is a commercial radio station located in Memphis, Tennessee. WMFS airs sports radio programming branded as "ESPN 680AM Sports Radio Memphis". The station simulcasts with WMFS-FM 92.9. WMFS is home to the Geoff Calkins Show, the Chris Vernon Show, the Eric Hasseltine Show, and the Gary Parrish Show. As of the 2007 baseball season, WMFS has become the home of St. Louis Cardinals broadcasts in the Memphis area. It also broadcasts Tennessee Volunteers football and basketball games.
The station's license is currently held by Entercom Communications. It is one of six radio properties in the Memphis market held by Entercom; the others are WMC-FM, WRVR-FM, WMC-AM, WLFP, and WMFS-FM. WMFS maintains studios in the Entercom complex in Southeast Memphis, and has a transmitter tower in North Memphis.
WGBC signed on in 1924. At that time it belonged to First Baptist Church of Memphis. The Memphis Press-Scimitar bought the station in 1937 and changed the letters to WMPS, moving it to Columbia Mutual Tower on Court Square. WMC-AM, owned by rival paper Commercial Appeal, carried the Red Network. In the 1930s, WMPS aired broadcasts of the NBC Radio Blue Network, including Bob Hope, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts, and Amos and Andy. Local programming on WMPS included country and western music (often called "Hillbilly" music). Kay Starr and Eddy Arnold gave some of their earliest performances on WMPS, which also aired The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill and Charlie Monroe, and Bob Wills. "Smiling" Eddie Hill of The Grand Ole Opry went to work at WMPS in 1947, leading the house band that included Ira and Charlie Louvin, who wrote songs for Bill Monroe, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, Mark Knopfler, Alison Krauss and Ray Charles. Johnny Cash later recalled hearing the Eddie Hill band featuring the Louvin Brothers on the radio, and program director Bob Neal played his "Hey Porter" and "Cry! Cry! Cry!" in 1955. Sonny James later led another band which performed on WMPS.
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