Yesterday, I neglected to observe the passing of Gordon Jump, who played Mr. Carlson on the classic sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati."

I'm actually a bit suprised at the amount of attention his death has drawn. It's truly a sign of the 80's nostalgia craze.

As someone who spent a number of years in radio as a career (and still dabbles in it on a semi-frequent basis), it's difficult to estimate how much a role in my career choice that "WKRP" played--but it wasn't small. In sixth grade, an English teacher had me read something out loud and told me she thought I had a voice that was pleasing to listen to. "You should consider doing something where you can use your voice--like radio broadcasting." My heart jumped, as I immediately imagined myself hanging around the "bullpen" with Johnny, Venus, Andy, and the gang. The hook was set, and I've been on the line (to one degree or another) ever since.

My first internship at a "real" radio station (the now-defunct KWK in St. Louis) proved to me how dead-on "WKRP" actually was, and the rest of my career only confirmed it. Sure, "WKRP" was a caricature--but not by much. The basic template is as true as it can be. The general managers really do hide in their offices and are afraid of the on-air people, the salespeople really are as slimy as Herb Tarlek, and the disc jockeys really are spaced out on heaven-knows-what drugs. I knew one who lived in his car and frequently did his program high on mushrooms--at the number one rated music station in a major market. And it was an adult contemporary, soft rock station! In the '90's! I'm frightened to think what must have been going on at classic rock stations in the '70's.

The only thing that disappointingly did not hold true from "WKRP" was the virtuous Andy Travis character. Most program directors are actually just as weaselly as the sales people.

Nonetheless, so long, "Big Guy." Thanks for being part of pushing me into an...ahem...interesting life.