RIP Howard Hesseman

[maumann]

Always loved the fact that nobody wore headsets and yet could still figure out how to cue up and start the next song. That's not how radio works in real life. (I'm certain it made for better TV to not have their faces blocked.)

NewsRadio was a little more accurate but I loved WKRP more. It reminded me way more of a small-town station with just a handful of employees. Plus, that's what radio was like about the time I was getting paid $5 an hour to play radio guy.

 

[zufer]

Always loved the fact that nobody wore headsets and yet could still figure out how to cue up and start the next song. That's not how radio works in real life. (I'm certain it made for better TV to not have their faces blocked.)

NewsRadio was a little more accurate but I loved WKRP more. It reminded me way more of a small-town station with just a handful of employees. Plus, that's what radio was like about the time I was getting paid $5 an hour to play radio guy.

Headsets were sometimes used, but almost always for a laugh. Gordon Jump, as Arthur Carlson, was a master of physical comedy and timing. (Watch the opening scene and pay attention to the booth.)

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Hard to believe now Joe Rogan was on News Radio

 

[Liut]

Yep, I grew up in Atlanta and love that backstory. Also remarkable — that episode was just the seventh of the first season. The show was great from the start.

You had to tune in a little further down I-75.

SPARK NEWS: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE FAMOUS WKRP “TURKEY DROP”

I don't think the piece mentions Wilson creating Fever based on a gentleman named Bobby Harper.

Might have mentioned this here years ago, but true story:

At some point in the mid-to-late 1980s, Kansas City center Mike Webster (yes, the Steelers HOFer ... RIP) was about to break longtime Atlanta center Jeff Van Note's record for most NFL games played without scoring a touchdown. At the time, Harper was WSB-AM's morning-drive host; Van Note did the sports reports. I called the station one morning wanting to get some quotes from Van Note about Webster. For whatever reason, I was patched through to the main studio ... and, for whatever reason ... they put me on the air live.

Strange as it might seem, I interviewed Van Note while on WSB's air. Final question to Van Note was, "During your long career, which quarterback had the coldest hands, Jeff?"

Van Note thought it was hilarious; Harper sounded like he was about to have a heart attack.

 

[garrow]

Hard to believe now Joe Rogan was on News Radio

And now he's on Disinformation Podcast.