An Evening With Dr. Banks and WGPR

"We want this to be the third most important cultural center in Detroit," says Kenneth Hollowell. He is speaking of The William V. Banks Broadcast Museum and Media Center, located in WGPR-TV studio, 3146 E. Jefferson, Michigan's, and the United States historic site. Many baby boomers growing up in Detroit remember TV-62, the first television station to broadcast 24 hours. On Friday August 26, 2022, The International Free and Accepted Modern Masons Inc. and the Order of the Eastern Stars Kenneth Hollowell 33 Supreme President and CEO held a Founders Day Reception: An evening with Dr. Banks and WGPR.

The gathering was informative, educational, and entertaining. The evening took place in the beautiful museum and if you have not ever been there, it is highly recommended to visit. It is a time capsule in studio form. Where God's Presence Radiant or Grosse Point Radio, WGPR began as a radio station and still operates locally in Detroit better known as Hot 107.5. On September 29, 1975,WGPR became the first ever owned and operated African American television station in the United States.

"Remember at midnight the National Anthem would play," says one of the speakers and those in attendance that did remember burst with laughter at the memory while those who only imagined chuckled at the thought. As the speakers' stories grew into messages, they recalled how curated the programming was. "News was important," Joe Spence informs. The stories shared were important on those segments became hand-picked.

The station produced, introduced, trained, directed, and praised their employees. Generally, WGPR-TV was the first company for numerous African Americans in media. Those behind the scenes, working cameras and microphones were greatly acknowledged for their work and plenty of notable journalist and tv personalities grew from the station. At the reception as well as the museum informs, President Gerald Ford acknowledged WGPR – TV 62 efforts.

The stories and history of WGPR are vital to the expansion of the media world currently. At the event it was a topic and agreeance that it was time for the museum to grow, expand and share more story and history of WGPR; as beautiful as the museum is now, the story is bigger. In conclusion of the evening the conversation grew into telling more of WGPR history. In effort to do so and keep the progress going, a Fundraising Gala supporting the William V. Banks Broadcast Museum, takes place September 10, 2022, at The Icon on the Riverfront, celebrating America's First Black-Owned Television Station, WGPR-TV 62. Go check out the museum today, it is free and located at 3146 E. Jefferson, see some history!