Growing up I was a huge fan of WKRP in Cincinnati, and as an adult got into the long running NBC show Frasier. My question is this: 'KRP seemed to take more poetic licence in respect to their radio equipment props while I feel the Fraiser set was more representative of a real world radio studio. Any thoughts? Has anyone considered taking an inventory of the gear depicted on these, and other, shows about radio?
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Radio on TV
- Thread starter jimoneal
- Start date
The "Frasier" studio was designed and built by Pacific Recorders and Engineering. It was real gear.
jimoneal said:
I have seen people take notes on some of that. I loved both of them too. I found some information one time looking for WKRP (I would love to get the whole series VHS-when it was uncut, so I could record, process and put them on my media server). If you google WKRP equipment, you may find something.
WKRP missed alot, like not having needles in the turntables and the record being at the end, when it was on the air. It was similar, though, to a low budget station of it's time.
Frasier was much later and more accurate, as it was talk... Although, they should have done away with carts on Frasier and went to automation at some point
Your post made me look on the internet again. Seems a lot of people have encoded them for me. Only 18 dollars for the original version already on DVD in data format. I think I shall buy.
I love it when there is an 'ON AIR' light in the radio studio. Many of them are the old illuminated signs which were sold by RCA.
'ON AIR' lights are generally located in the sound lock outside the 'live' studio.
Oh well ...... it's TV. Most of the viewing audience don't know the purpose of the 'ON AIR' light at a radio station.
They don't care either.
'ON AIR' lights are generally located in the sound lock outside the 'live' studio.
Oh well ...... it's TV. Most of the viewing audience don't know the purpose of the 'ON AIR' light at a radio station.
They don't care either.
Other than the turntables and possibly a stray reel deck I questioned the amount of real broadcast gear used on the show.
In the two-part opening episode in KRP's 4th season, "An Explosive Affair" Johnny and Venus find themselves at the transmitter after a bomb threat made to the station. In the screen caps in this message shows, the only other piece of broadcast gear I was able to recognize besides the turntables was a mono CBS Audimax in the rack.
In the two-part opening episode in KRP's 4th season, "An Explosive Affair" Johnny and Venus find themselves at the transmitter after a bomb threat made to the station. In the screen caps in this message shows, the only other piece of broadcast gear I was able to recognize besides the turntables was a mono CBS Audimax in the rack.
The average viewer wouldn't know a radio transmitter if it bit him.
In the case of the WKRP episode, It looks like somebody loaded the racks up with old junk that looks technical.
I remember an old Twilight Zone episode which showed a Magnecorder PT6. The Maggie was supposed to be a replay device for a computer system.
Gotta love these old TV shows.
In the case of the WKRP episode, It looks like somebody loaded the racks up with old junk that looks technical.
I remember an old Twilight Zone episode which showed a Magnecorder PT6. The Maggie was supposed to be a replay device for a computer system.
Gotta love these old TV shows.
Bill DeFelice said:
Those were my two favorite episodes. I never laughed so hard as when Johnny was beating the phone with that toolbox.
A goof on the "Explosive Affair" episode was Andy not knowing the STL was one way. But the part about the Phone Cops was real, Johnny Fever is right they do play rough ;D The WKRP episode with the music montage indicated they did production on a 3M Wollensak portable reel to reel.
The movie "FM" had a somewhat real control room. I love the dual AKG condenser mics for stereo.
The movie "FM" had a somewhat real control room. I love the dual AKG condenser mics for stereo.
That episode as well as the classic "Turkeys Away" were my all time favs.
Hopefully somebody has a better memory than me, but some of the shows I recall that relate to radio on Tv include these:
1960's:
Good Morning World starring Ronny Schell and Joby Baker - other than the turntables (and possibly microphones) I don't recall any other recognizable radio gear.
1970's:
Hello Larry with McLean Stevenson. It's been so long since I've seen this show I don't recall what the studio set consisted of.
1980's:
Anybody remember any here?
1990's:
NewsRadio with Dave Foley. I thought there was a Pacific Recorders board or furniture mock-up in their "air studio."
At least one episode of "That 70's Show" features the Donna Pinciotti character (played by Laura Prepon) working at the local radio station. I don't recall if any real broadcast gear graced their radio set.
That's a few I recall off the top (especially since I own Good Morning World on DVD.
Hopefully somebody has a better memory than me, but some of the shows I recall that relate to radio on Tv include these:
1960's:
Good Morning World starring Ronny Schell and Joby Baker - other than the turntables (and possibly microphones) I don't recall any other recognizable radio gear.
1970's:
Hello Larry with McLean Stevenson. It's been so long since I've seen this show I don't recall what the studio set consisted of.
1980's:
Anybody remember any here?
1990's:
NewsRadio with Dave Foley. I thought there was a Pacific Recorders board or furniture mock-up in their "air studio."
At least one episode of "That 70's Show" features the Donna Pinciotti character (played by Laura Prepon) working at the local radio station. I don't recall if any real broadcast gear graced their radio set.
That's a few I recall off the top (especially since I own Good Morning World on DVD.
There was a show in the late 90's called "Nightman" about a San Francisco sax player that gets hit by lightning and develops some super powers. In the night club set there was a small broadcast booth. All of the equipment in the booth was rented to the production and consisted of a Quantum console, a mic and boom, several cart machines and other stuff. It was all junk I had taken out of service and had in storage. None of it actually worked, it was just meant as props.
Bill DeFelice said:
Here's a view of Donna's studio on That 70's Show.
Hell of a setup at the board! No playback devices anywhere in reach.
Thanks for the That 70's Show pic. I love that show too. The tape deck in the back looks like a Dokorder and the cart deck seems to be an ITC. The board is a Gatesway 5133a. The tapes in the rack appear to be 8-tracks, not broadcast carts. As for the equipment racks on the right, I can't quite make out which gear is which. Details. Details. Most obvious are the microphones: E-V RE-20's.
This is more of "radio on the silver screen", but since the 3 Stooges have been regular visitors to TV sets all over the land, I thought I'd mention that the 1945 short "Micro-Phonies" has the Stooges in a radio studio. They have a microphone quite visible, but I don't remember much other equipment being shown, even as they are being chased around the facility. The action takes place in the studio, not the control room as these were the days of live radio performances.
johnbasalla said:
The movie also has one of the most used audio drops of all time: "quiet numbskulls, I'm broadcasting"
After the show the call letters ended up on an AM station in Scipio Indiana. I really enjoyed being the engineer for WKRP for many years just for the notoriety.
I would have expected more tv related signs,posters, etc in the studio. The owner later became the Ohio Utility Regulatory Commissioner.
I would have expected more tv related signs,posters, etc in the studio. The owner later became the Ohio Utility Regulatory Commissioner.
One more show to check out is Rod Serling's "Night Gallery". If you go to Hulu and look up Night Gallery, it's the third segment of season 2 episode 3. Arte Johnson plays a DJ relegated to doing the all night show on a deserted station that only broadcasts from midnight to dawn. The gig appears to be payback for all the dirty dealings he has dealt along the way. Much like now, when he gets to the station, no one is there. The equipment is all dull gray, and includes a scary looking rack of war-surplus type stuff, and a "transmitter" that turns on with a knife-switch. The console is home-brew, with an Altec 639b microphone and a couple of old 16" turntables, no carts.
Forgot to add:
1970's:
California Fever starring Jimmy McNichol. This NBC show was targeted toward American's youth. McNichol's character, Vince, ran an underground radio station from the back room of their local hang out. I don't remember the show and have no idea if there was any depicted radio studio shown.
1980's:
Midnight Caller starring Gary Cole. I never saw it so I don't know if there was any sort of radio studio shown for this series.
1990's:
FM starring Robert Hays. It looks as this show only lasted one season, from August 1989 to June, 1990. Plot line mentions it as an "office comedy" taking place at a listener supported public radio station in Washington DC. using the calls "WGEO-FM"
Frasier starring Kelsey Grammar. If I recall correctly wasn't this series that had the Pacific Recorders board as part of the set?
Northern Exposure is another one I never saw but info online leads me to believe there were some scenes depicting a radio studio.
Remember WENN was a series that was run on American Movie Classics and was set in the days when radio did live performances. My hunch would be that most props were likely reproductions. The show was developed by Rupert Holmes.
Rhythm And Blues co-starring Ron Glass (of Barney Miller fame). Plot was a white DJ turns this all-black radio station on its ear. I don't remember the show which barely lasted a month (yes, not a typo) from September to October, 1992.
NBC's Saturday Morning program Saved By The Bell had a handful of episodes featuring their school radio station, using the calls "KKTY" in which I never recall seeing anything notable other than turntables and a microphone.
1970's:
California Fever starring Jimmy McNichol. This NBC show was targeted toward American's youth. McNichol's character, Vince, ran an underground radio station from the back room of their local hang out. I don't remember the show and have no idea if there was any depicted radio studio shown.
1980's:
Midnight Caller starring Gary Cole. I never saw it so I don't know if there was any sort of radio studio shown for this series.
1990's:
FM starring Robert Hays. It looks as this show only lasted one season, from August 1989 to June, 1990. Plot line mentions it as an "office comedy" taking place at a listener supported public radio station in Washington DC. using the calls "WGEO-FM"
Frasier starring Kelsey Grammar. If I recall correctly wasn't this series that had the Pacific Recorders board as part of the set?
Northern Exposure is another one I never saw but info online leads me to believe there were some scenes depicting a radio studio.
Remember WENN was a series that was run on American Movie Classics and was set in the days when radio did live performances. My hunch would be that most props were likely reproductions. The show was developed by Rupert Holmes.
Rhythm And Blues co-starring Ron Glass (of Barney Miller fame). Plot was a white DJ turns this all-black radio station on its ear. I don't remember the show which barely lasted a month (yes, not a typo) from September to October, 1992.
NBC's Saturday Morning program Saved By The Bell had a handful of episodes featuring their school radio station, using the calls "KKTY" in which I never recall seeing anything notable other than turntables and a microphone.
robgrayson said:
That's one hell of a spooky studio...you can smell the dust just by watching. Must have been some really bad insulator material on that knife switch! The ancient deco style embellishments really make the scene.
This is a much worse nightmare than the standard radio nightmare of being locked out of the studio with the blank tail groove running.
frankberry said:
I've actually seen "ON AIR" lights in studios but most often the type where the board-op/engineer was in a separate booth. Some studios I've seen or worked in had just red light bulbs in one of those porcelain fixtures in both the studio and by the door in the hallway/sound lock. The real fancy ones had "ON AIR" in red and "STAND BY" in Yellow or Amber. Stand By was actuated by the P/A switch above the mike pot when in Audition.
frankberry said:
When NBC was building the Studio 1A complex for the Today Show about 15 years ago or so, they contracted to have the old RCA Art Deco "ON AIR" signs replicated, for placement above the entry to each TV studio. When I was working there, you have no idea how much I wanted one of them, LOL!
Kind Regards,
David
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