Frequency?
Do they ever mention what frequency WKRP broadcasts at? Most radio stations seem to mention that regularly, usually at their station ID breaks, so it may even be an FCC requirement.
I don't think it was ever said. But I do remember being surprised when they mentioned it was an "am" station since I don't know any am stations that played rock music.
shareI'm gonna guess you weren't listening to radio circa 1960. Back then, at least here in Indiana (around 100 miles from Cincinnati), rock 'n' roll and other top-40 music was pretty much exclusively on AM, with FM being devoted to classical music and other "grown-up" stuff. My husband says that had changed by sometime in the 70s, but it may have depended on where you lived. One of the extras on the DVD set mentions that at first they were assuming WKRP would be an FM station, till they realized that rock would be on AM -- so maybe the show's creators/producers/writers were remembering their own childhoods?
"Rock" music/radio, in the context of the time of WKRP, is distinctly different from the early rock 'n' roll of the 50's & early 60's. By the late 60's/early 70's, rock format stations had largely moved to the FM band, which was capable of broadcasting in stereo, which was more suitable to album oriented rock. In fact, WKRP may have been the inspiration for the formerly Top 40 SF Bay Area AM station KLIV to temporarily go to an AOR format around 1979/1980.
There may have been other AOR format AM stations around the country.
"Rock" music/radio, in the context of the time of WKRP, is distinctly different from the early rock 'n' roll of the 50's & early 60's.
That's quite true -- and is the difference between what Andy wants and what Johnny actually plays.
By the late 60's/early 70's, rock format stations had largely moved to the FM band, which was capable of broadcasting in stereo, which was more suitable to album oriented rock.
That makes sense. I'm gonna guess that the album orientation was a cause and/or effect of the move toward "canned" (AKA automated) stations like the one that tried to hire Venus to "just sit around and be black." If you play whole albums at one stretch, who's even gonna notice whether there's a DJ or not?
share
If you play whole albums at one stretch, who's even gonna notice whether there's a DJ
Interestingly enough, there was a Bay Area AOR (at the time) station- KMEL 106.9- that every Sunday Night had a program called "The KMEL Album Caravan", which played 7 entire albums complete, with only minimal DJ/Commercial breaks between the 2 sides of the album.😎 share
No, I wasn't born yet. I just know that growing up, I remember one AM station that played top 40, and I think 2 FM that played what was "classic" rock at the time.
sharesince I don't know any am stations that played rock music
SF Bay Area AM station KLIV (1590) did briefly go to an AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) format in around 1979-1981(They had previously went through several format changes, including a hard rock format in the early 70's, Top 40, Adult Contemporay, & Disco). They had even hired a popular DJ from a rival FM AOR station (KSJO), Paul "The Lobster" Wells. share