Movies and television shows that feature radio stations are usually fairly inaccurate, romanticized affairs. They’re places to zoo out or pontificate, to stick it to the Man, or to just show up or leave whenever you feel like it. Or you can put on a record that’s just been handed to you and, voila, a star is born! At least half the time, nobody wears headphones. Certainly no one knows the proper way to cue up a record. I’m sure lawyers must experience the same thing all the time, whenever they encounter courtroom scenes.
“Play Misty for Me,” “WKRP in Cincinnati,” “Northern Exposure,” “Grosse Point Blank,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Frasier,” “American Graffiti,” “The King of Marvin Gardens.” I want to work at a movie radio station.
At least I’ve been fortunate to be able to play anything I want for most of my career.
From time to time, Adrienne Barbeau’s lighthouse radio station from John Carpenter’s “The Fog” still pops into my head. In my memory, she’s blasting Brandenburg Concertos in her jeep on a beautiful morning on her way to work. Surely, I’m misremembering.
Barbeau getting ready to sign on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0hI-sipxSk&t=1m0s
Barbeau in the middle of the night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOZwnivtLbc
That’s the other thing about movies – the DJs are always there, at all hours. Except when they’re not.
I never had Richard Dreyfuss walk in on me, but it’s nice to see a cart machine again.
Hey, Wolfman! You’re not supposed to eat in the studio!