- WKRP In Cincinnati was a hit show in the 1970s
- It centred around the "WKRP" radio station
- Was "WKRP" based on a real radio station?
WKRP In Cincinnati was on the air from 1978 to 1982. That was on television, of course, but was the popular show based on a real-life "WKRP" radio station?
WKRP In Cincinnati: There was no real "WKRP" radio station
Sadly, there was no real "WKRP" radio station in Cincinnati, but the creators and writers did base many of the characters on real-life radio personalities.
"Andy Travis" and "Dr. Johnny Fever," for example, were based on real people, and one of them even worked at a WQXI radio station... which may have been an inspiration. But the show did not borrow the "WKRP" call letters from a real-life radio station.
Also interesting:
However, in the years after WKRP In Cincinnati, several real-life "WKRPs" have popped up. Today there is a "WKRP-LP" radio station in Raleigh, North Carolina.
And we do get close to a real "WKRP" in Cincinnati today. A Cincinnati, Ohio, television station currently calls itself "WKRP-TV Cincinnati" — though its true call letters are not "WKRP." Still a neat tribute.
WKRP In Cincinnati was cancelled in the 1980s, but fans still remember the show fondly today.