Paper Radio

Cross media topics are kind of a novelty unto themselves. How many TV shows can you name that are about radio, even tangentially?  There was WKRP In Cincinatti, Newsradio, and Frasier. I think that's it. Radio returns the favor a bit as well: TV Confidential, and TV Time Machine on 1170 KCBQ-AM. Print media does one better, analyzing and examining the historical record of everything, Radio, TV and itself. But largely radio magazines died out in the 1930s and 1940s. Sure Radio World, Radio Ink and Radio Magazine are still published regularly but those are trade magazines. They're not in general circulation.  there are a coupel irregular Ham mags out there too but I've found only one 'zine.

Zines are hard to define. They are generally self-published works, though they often have multiple contributors. They fill a narrow market niche, and are usually reproduced on a photocopier.Circulation is small by definition. According to issue #4 of the zine Paper Radio, only 100 copies of each issue were printed. That's real micro publishing. I bought mine at Ms. Valerie Park Distro out of Olympia, WA. The zine itself is based in Warner, New Hampshire, and published by DJ Fredrick.

Paper radio is about the art and history of radio. Issue # 8 reads in plain language "The goal of Paper Radio is to help readers connect and reconnect with radio. Unlike other mediums, radio sparks the imagination, it paints scenes with sound..."  Topics include pirate radio, shortwave (WCBQ, CHU, WWCR, WRMI), pirate shortwave, DX'ing and in the few issues I have, they cover a slew of small local radio stations WNEC, KPFA, KMUD, KENC, WRKU, and WFEA-AM.  More here.

Memphis to Little Rock

Little Rock was named for a rock formation called Le Petite Roche (the little rock). French Explorer Jean-Baptiste Benard de la Harpe opened a trading post nearby. Just the same nobody surveyed the area for another century. Random Fact: Frank Bonner who played as Herb Tarlek in the television series WKRP in Cincinnati was born in Little Rock.I took Route 70 West through most of Arkansas. You see more country from the local road, even if it's hours slower. You can't see much flying down I-40 at 70mph. I found a great antique store in Hazen, called Kocourek & Son. They had stacks of 45s, and an array of other oddball items I've never seen before.

I passed through Brinkley, AR the birthplace of Louis Jordan. There I managed to catch an hour of 95.3 KVHU, the Harding University station in Judsonia. They have an odd block format. Nights are accapella christian music. It's not the overtly slick CHR-pop christian or gospel. It's literally hymns. Not very listenable. Daytime they play classic hits, and late nights they run old-time radio programs like Jack Benny, and the Lone Ranger. I don't think there's another mix out there like that.

Here in Little Rock, 88.3 KABF is playing synthesizer-laden reggae. I'm at a loss to classify it. Hooray for college radio. Their schedule indicates more Spanish music into the evening. I hope to stay up late and a catch the renowned electronic program "Machine Language." Random Fact: the show is hosted by a guy that absolutely killed on Jeopardy back in 2007.

Fictional Radio Stations

As if the real radio stations weren't colorful enough. Movies, dramas, books and cartoons all see fit in invent their own caricatures. Click the header for a very complete list. I note my favorites below:

BDRX - Bedrock, prehistoric USA, The Flintstones
KADS - All advertisement radio, from Duck's Breath Mystery Theater
KACL-AM - from the TV show Frasier half talk , half salsa
KBHR - From the TV show Northern Exposure
KCPY - Used in season two of Knight Rider
KCUF - from the book The Crying of Lot 49
KDUM - From the comic Garfield and Friends
KKHV - From the movie Back to the Future
KOLD - An all senior citizen radio station from the cartoon Sponge Bob Square Pants
KORN-AM - from the TV show Hee-Haw
KPPX - From the classic rocker movie Airheads
WBBY - From the comic strip Doonesbury
WOW - from the TV show Happy Days
WEZY - From the Movie O' Brother, Where Art Thou
WFBB - From the TV show Seinfeld
WINO - from "LP "Take Offs & Put Ons" by George Carlin
WLT - From the Garrison Keillor novel WLT: A Radio Romance
WMCY - from the Kurt Vonnegut novel Breakfast of Champions
WVUX - From Action Comics #12 featuring Superman

There are three major oddities in this list of oddities:

• 1. Only WZAZ appears in two different films as the same radio station: From the movie Airplane! and in movie The Big Bus. The name is a reference to filmmakers David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. Supposedly an all-disco station.

• 2. The Simpsons reference radio frequently. Most often attacking easy listening. Of course they also mock other formats with equal impunity. This has spawned KBBL and KFSL, WOMB, KUDD, KOMA and others.

• 3. WKRP Cincinnati. not only do we have a very fleshed out fake station, but also a host of their local competitors: WPIG, WTNA & WREQ. I'll write more about them some other time.

***********UPDATE*********** 

Based on this post I'm maintaining a more dynamic list on a page here