Media

Memphis media are much like those of other major urban centers, given their lineup of publications and stations. These days Memphis is a one daily-newspaper town, with the Commercial Appeal publishing seven days a week. Filling the role that otherwise would be played by a second major daily are two weekly newspapers, the Memphis Flyer and Memphis Business Journal. In addition, a number of suburban and small-town newspapers in the area focus on local politics, high-school sports, and other news of interest to their respective readerships.

The city’s most visible magazine is Memphis magazine, which has been published since 1976. This glossy monthly has an urbane and sometimes offbeat take on the city and its cultural scene, personalities, and restaurants. You’ll also find numerous free publications around town (look for racks in the foyers of local supermarkets or libraries), including Downtowner magazine (a monthly with news and features about downtown Memphis) as well as the RSVP monthly with photo-packed coverage of society events. In recent years, a number of new publications have surfaced, including two glossy shelter magazines, At Home Tennessee and Edible.

Memphis has one of the country’s largest African-American populations, which is served by the Tri-State Defender, a weekly newspaper that focuses on civil rights and other issues of interest to that audience. The city’s growing Hispanic population is served by a free Spanish-language weekly, La Prensa Latina.

The current editions of most local newspapers are available on newsstands as well as from individual vending machines. In addition, many have Web sites where visitors can access some or all of the newspapers’ content as well as breaking news or other extra features.

Radio is the Memphis medium with the most colorful history, given its ties throughout the years to the music produced here. For example, WDIA was the first station in the United States to have an all-black format, with Nat D. Williams as its first black DJ. The station also helped to launch the careers of B. B. King, Rufus Thomas, and others. (See the Memphis Music chapter for more information.) Memphis DJs also were the first to play Elvis Presley’s music, back when he was an unknown, and some, including Rick Dees, have become nationally known radio personalities. Currently the airwaves here offer a broad range of stations, and in 2007 Memphis ranked 49th among U.S. radio markets, according to Arbitron.

The top television stations compete for viewers by touting their local news coverage and the quality of their weather-tracking equipment (a good thing, given the storms and the occasional tornadoes that come through this area). Memphis had the 47th-largest TV market in the country, with 667,900 TV homes as of 2008, according to Nielsen Media Research.

As with media in other markets, many Memphis television stations also make their news coverage and other offerings available on the Internet, so you can watch the news at your own convenience.

Many Memphians opt for cable television or direct satellite dish for a bigger selection of channels. Comcast has consolidated most of the local cable TV systems and now serves much of west Tennessee, north Mississippi, and east Arkansas.