The oak, 6-foot circle in the center of the Grand Ole Opry stage is almost a legend in itself. The tradition of the circle dates back to 1943 at the Ryman auditorium, the Opry's permanent home for almost 31 years. The circle is where country legends and today's country artists stand when they perform. The circle was cut out of the stage and brought to the new home of the Opry in 1974. The circle made the news in 2010 when it survived the flood of the Grand Ole Opry House.
The Grand Ole Opry radio show started in 1925 as the WSM Barn Dance. It was changed in 1927 to the Grand Ole Opry. The show gained popularity with listeners when NBC picked it up in 1939 and, by 1943, it aired on over 140 NBC affiliates. The tradition of the radio show continues today with the nationally syndicated, two-hour program, "America's Opry Weekend."
The Grand Ole Opry was first broadcast regionally in 1955. In 1978, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) televised the show and aired it every year until 1981. By 1985, a half-hour segment of the show began airing on Saturday nights on TNN as the Grand Ole Opry Live. Eventually it was expanded to a full hour show that first aired on Country Music Television (CMT) and later, the Great American Country Network (GAC).
In the 1940s artists of the Opry performed in Nashville and around the country. In 1947, some Opry stars performed at Carnegie Hall and other stars performed in Washington, D.C. at Constitution Hall. The first European tour happened in 1949 around military bases. The touring continued in and out of the United States and, in 1991, the Opry hosted a 10-city tour to celebrate its 65th anniversary. Another tour was organized in 2004, and the latest included playing Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in 2006 to celebrate the Opry's 80th year.