If you’ve driven down East Jefferson near Chene, chances are you’ve seen the WGPR sign. Well what you may not know is beyond that sign, in the back of the building, lies a hidden gem. “Many people don’t know it but WGPR was the very first Black owned and operated television station in the entire nation right here in Detroit,” Joe Spencer, President of the WGPR Historical Society told ‘Live in the D’s,’ April Morton. In 1973 the FCC granted Modern Masons, led by Dr. William V Banks, a permit to operate UHF TV Channel 62. That moment and the 20 years of broadcasting that followed, are all displayed in the WGPR Museum. Years of hard work collecting records, videotapes, memorabilia and all kinds of stuff paid off says Spencer. In 2017 the museum opened in the very same location of the original WGPR studios. Visitors to the museum can learn about this historic station, all its programing, and how the station helped launch the careers of some now legendary news broadcasters. The WGPR Historical Society is hoping to raise funds in order to build a functioning news studio. The space would be used by young students looking to learn the in’s and out’s of the news biz. Students will also be able to create an actual newscast that would be put on a thumb drive for them to have and share.
To watch the full interview, click video above.