A collection of antique radios and phonographs once owned by the late Ray Elliott, longtime WGRV announcer and engineer, will be featured on an upcoming episode of the popular television show American Pickers.
The episode, filmed in Greeneville in May 2024, is scheduled to air Wednesday on the History Channel. Show hosts Mike Wolfe and Jersey Jon visited multiple Elliott family properties during their stop, including Ray’s home, his former business—Elliott’s Radio & TV Hospital—and his father’s antique shop.
Elliott’s extensive collection, which includes early radios from the dawn of broadcast history, vintage television sets, phonographs, and other rare pieces, caught the attention of the show after his granddaughter, Teri, contacted the production team. Unlike most episodes, which highlight several locations, the upcoming broadcast will reportedly be devoted almost entirely to Elliott’s collection.
Elliott’s daughter, Teresa Elliott Rutledge, and grandson, Jason Rutledge, will appear in the episode alongside the pickers.
Elliott, who died in 2022 at the age of 92, began working in radio not long after WGRV went on the air in 1946. He served as the station’s chief engineer for more than 60 years, often repairing or custom-building equipment to keep the station running—sometimes in the middle of the night.
In addition to his engineering work, Elliott was also a familiar voice on WGRV and its sister station, WOFM (later WIKQ). He co-hosted the early morning show on WIKQ for over 20 years and spent more than three decades behind the microphone on WGRV’s Hometown Radio Show.
Known for his passion for vintage electronics, Elliott also operated a radio and television repair shop and was renowned regionally for his ability to restore antique equipment to working condition.
What exactly the pickers chose to buy—and what items sparked their interest—will be revealed during next week’s broadcast on the History Channel.
