Episode 58: WKRP in Cincinnati
PLAY LIST
WKRP in Cincinnati Theme Song by Steve Carlile (1978)
Queen of the Forest by Ted Nugent (1975)
Hot Blooded by Foreigner (1978)
After the Love is Gone by Earth Wind and Fire (1979)
Our Lips are Sealed by the Go Gos (1981)
SHOW NOTES
When “WKRP in Cincinnati” first aired in 1978, radio was still king in American music. Radio was where music fans often first heard songs and radio was where record labels pitched their artists, knowing air play was key to record sales. So, even though WKRP was a fictional radio station, it sure felt real to its fans and even to record executives, who gave merchandise to the show in the same way they did to real stations. What was the key to WKRP’s authenticity? Some of that is because Hugh Wilson, the creator of the show, had a background in radio and some of that is because of the music. There would be no “sound alike” music for WKRP. They used real songs, often chosen by Howard Hesseman and Tim Reid, the actors who played the WKRP jocks Dr. Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap. This episode examines some of the classic moments from WKRP (turkey drop, of course!) and the importance of the music that is at the heart of the show.
SOURCES
Bamidele, Afouda. 2025. “'WKRP in Cincinnati' Star Loni Anderson Dies At 79 After A 'Prolonged Illness.'” Yahoo. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/wkrp-cincinnati-star-loni-anderson-132000810.html.
Charlotte News. 1978. “For the Record Here is What The News Said.” July 15, 1978.
Cox, Vicki. 1977. “Catching Cat Scratch Fever.” Irving Daily News (Irving), August 5, 1977.
Davis, Hay. 2014. “WKRP Tuned in to Music, Issues of Its day.” Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond), November 9, 2014.
Dunkin, Zach. 1981. “Go-Go's Challenge Rock Music No-No's.” Indianapolis News, July 31, 1981.
Fong-Torres, Ben. 1979. “Johnny Fever Appeals to our Dark Side.” Austin American-Statesman (Austin), May 13, 1979.
Hillburn, Robert. 1978. “Foreigner's Album Plays it Safe.” The Los Angeles Times, June 24, 1978.
Ho, Rodney. 2024. “Unearthed Audio Claims a WKRP-Style Promotion Turkey Drop Actually Happened.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/unearthed-audio-claims-that-a-wkrp-like-radio-promotion-turkey-drop-actually-happened/5M5U577MFZFZTPQM54GWNXRH4A/.
“Hugh Wilson on music issues with "WKRP in Cincinnati" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG.” 2016. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExGo9b1K44.
Kassel, Michael B. 1978. America's Favorite Radio Station: WKRP in Cincinnati. Bowling Green: Bowling Green State University Press.
Matos, Michaelangelo. 2014. “WKRP In Perpetuity : The Record.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2014/12/06/367971595/wkrp-in-perpetuity.
Nugent, Ted. n.d. “Queen Of The Forest by Ted Nugent.” Songfacts. Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/ted-nugent/queen-of-the-forest.
“Our Lips are Sealed by the Go-Go's.” n.d. Songfacts. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-go-gos/our-lips-are-sealed.
Ritchison, Ritchie. 2021. “Actor Tim Reid on WKRP in Cincinnati and The Who concert - TelevisionAcademy.com/interviews.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_xPBDpun5I.