WDYN studio on Ellis Road off McFarland Road in Rossville
photo by Earl Freudenberg
Former Sheriff Jim Hammond is among a group coming to the rescue of the former Tennessee Temple radio station WDYN.
Sheriff Hammond, a former Temple student, said the station, since Temple was taken over by Piedmont International University, had struggled.
It moved away from Highland Park to a unpretentious location on Ellis Road in Rossville. It operated with a weak signal.
Sheriff Hammond said it was learned that Piedmont, now known as Carolina University, planned to sell the station and tower.
He said he and others were concerned that it would lose its Christian voice and become a secular station.
Sheriff Hammond was contacted recently by a former Temple board member who urged him to get together a local group to take ownership. The anonymous, wealthy former Temple trustee vowed that he would pay the annual debt service.
The former sheriff said the sale has gone through and steps are being taken to bolster the station, including getting extra wattage on his AM and FM channels - 980 and 94.9.
The Ellis Road building was spruced up with new paint and landscaping.
Sheriff Hammond said, "We are operating 24/7 with Christian programming that includes Southern Gospel music and a variety of preachers."
He said the best way the station is spreading its message is by the Internet. He said, "People around the world can hear us on WDYN.com. Just today a woman from Mexico who heard us on the Internet said she was sending a $50 gift."
Tom Sneed remains the longtime general manager of the station.
Jim Hammond on duty at WDYN
photo by Earl Freudenberg