Andy Travis, a young program director from Santa Fe, takes over at WKRP, a radio station in Cincinnati. WKRP is a ""beautiful music"" station that ranks 16th in an 18 station market. Andy soon wins the confidence of station manager Mr. Carlson, who is terrified of his mother, the station's owner. But Andy discovers that news director Les Nessman and sales manager Herb Tarlek were both after the program director's job and resent his appointment. He also meets receptionist Jennifer Marlowe, who spends most of her time watering her plants and fending off Herb's sexual advances, and morning disc jockey Johnny Caravella, who was a top DJ in Los Angeles until he was fired for saying the word ""booger"" on the air. Andy's first act as program director is to change the format of WKRP to top 40 rock and roll. In response, Johnny adopts the new, energetic on-air persona of ""Dr. Johnny Fever."" Andy has other plans, including an expanded role for shy but intelligent continuity director Bailey Qua

Mr. Carlson won't give Andy any money to advertise WKRP's format change. While Andy tries to come up with a publicity stunt to get the station in the news, a group of irate former listeners demands a return to the old format and an on-air apology to Lawrence Welk.

Les is banned from conducting interviews at Riverfront stadium when a baseball player accuses him of being gay. Mortified at what he sees as an insult to his reputation as ""a fairly macho kind of guy,"" Les climbs out on the ledge of the Flimm building and threatens to jump. Meanwhile, Johnny comes up with a way to stop Herb from bothering Jennifer.

With the help of a concert-promoter friend of Mr. Carlson's, Andy arranges for the station to sponsor a concert by the English rock group ""Scum of the Earth."" But everyone soon discovers that Scum's onstage viciousness and insanity isn't just an act.

Herb arranges for the station to do a live remote broadcast from Del's Stereo and Sound. It doesn't go very well, especially when an out-of-work DJ shows up with a gun and hijacks the broadcast.

Bailey finally gets a chance to fulfill her ambition to be a broadcast producer when Andy lets her produce a new public-service interview show, ""Cincinnati Beat."" But she soon finds that all the potential guests are out of their minds, while Herb plots to get her fired from the show.

Feeling left out because he doesn't have anything to do, Mr. Carlson suddenly decides to take full charge of every aspect of the station. He then proceeds to come up with a special, top-secret Thanksgiving day promotion involving twenty live turkeys.

Andy's old girlfriend, now a famous country singer, arrives in Cincinnati on a promotional tour. After she and Andy meet and fall in love again, Andy has to decide whether to stay at WKRP or go on the road with her. Meanwhile, Johnny and Venus participate in a ""Win a date with a DJ"" contest.

Mama Carlson arrives for a quarterly review to discuss WKRP's personnel and profits. Andy and Mr. Carlson try to explain what's gone on since the format change, illustrated with clips from previous episodes.

When Les wins the coveted Silver Sow award, he asks Jennifer to be his date for the awards banquet. To Les's delight, and Herb's horror, she accepts.

Johnny, misreading a memo, announces the prize in a contest as $5000 when it's actually supposed to be $50. Andy and Venus come up with a plan to make the contest so difficult that no one can win.

While Japanese radio executives are touring the station, the city experiences a series of tornadoes.

Johnny is offered a job in Los Angeles. When it becomes clear that he intends to accept the offer, the other staffers throw a going-away party where they try to manipulate him into staying.

A sleazy record company promoter recommends Doug Winner, a talented young DJ, as Johnny's replacement. When Johnny returns, having been fired in L.A. again, he has to settle for working the late-night graveyard shift.

Herb separates from his wife Lucille, and winds up staying at Johnny's apartment until he can get a bachelor pad of his own. Jennifer, horrified at the prospect of having to deal with an unattached Herb, tries to get Herb and Lucille back together again.

A young single mother, who listens to Johnny every day and feels as though he's the only person in town she really knows, leaves her baby at the station. Johnny becomes attached to the baby and refuses to turn it over to the family-services people until he has had a chance to contact the mother again.

The head of a chain of funeral homes wants to advertise on WKRP, in the hopes of convincing young people to make funeral arrangements early. The staff creates a singing commercial aimed at ""young and swingin'"" listeners.

After Venus refuses to pose for a publicity photo, the truth about his past is revealed: He's wanted by the law as a deserter from the United States army.

Jennifer's childhood sweetheart from Rock Throw, West Virginia arrives at the station, expecting her to keep her promise to marry him. To get rid of him, Jennifer pretends to be married to Johnny.

Mr. Carlson's son runs away from military school, and Mama Carlson brings him to WKRP, ordering Mr. Carlson to let the boy work at the station for a while. But Little Arthur soon alienates everybody at the station with his fascistic tendencies.

On a day when a reporter is coming to do a story on WKRP, Mr. Carlson unveils his latest promotion idea: dressing Herb up as the station mascot, the KRP Carp. At the same time, Johnny and Venus are taking an on-air test to demonstrate the effects of alcohol upon the average driver, and a painter is very slowly repainting the lobby.

The Rev. Little Ed Pembrook, WKRP's Sunday morning evangelist and a former pro wrestler, is using his broadcasts to sell ""religious artifacts"" like John the Baptist shower curtains. But no one has the nerve to fire the fearsome Little Ed.

Johnny forgets about his date with Bailey when he gets a call from Buffy, his old girlfriend from California. He borrows Jennifer's apartment to impress Buffy; however, that plan ends when she tells him she's suing him for palimony.

Johnny calls his friends over to Jennifer's apartment to help him deal with Buffy and her threat of a lawsuit. Buffy arrives and, after having a drink with Johnny, tells him that she put poison in his drink.

The staff plays against the team from rival station WPIG in a softball game.

Herb starts selling insurance as a sideline, and sells a comprehensive policy to Les, who promptly has an accident.

For the first time in her life, Jennifer is in love, with a penniless but handsome repairman who turns out to be even more of a gold digger than she is. Meanwhile, Les tries to get a raise, and Johnny becomes convinced that he's the man Jennifer is in love with.

Mr. Carlson runs for Cincinnati City Council. When Bailey discovers a potentially damaging piece of information about the front-runner in the election, Mr. Carlson considers using that information in a televised debate.

During a citywide garbage strike, Johnny jokingly suggests that his listeners dump their garbage on the steps of City Hall. The joke is on him, and the station, when hundreds of listeners take him seriously. Johnny becomes aware of his power and develops a serious case of mike fright.

Mr. Carlson's wife Carmen announces that she is pregnant. Mr. Carlson is overjoyed, and certain that Carmen feels the same way. However, Mama Carlson points out the potential dangers of middle-aged pregnancy and recommends an abortion.

The new ratings book arrives, and WKRP has climbed from 16th to 14th place in the Cincinnati market. Everyone is happy about the gain except Andy, who knows that the station has not improved enough, in part because of his own unwillingness to fire incompetent employees like Herb and Les.

When WKRP needs an assistant news reporter, Bailey applies for the job and gets it. Les, who doesn't want to work with anyone, least of all a woman, tries to keep Bailey from going on the air.

Jennifer tells her friends that she has nothing special planned for Christmas, and that she doesn't have a tree this year. Everyone begins to suspect that she might be alone for the holidays.

Mr. Carlson hires legendary baseball manager Sparky Anderson as the host of a new sports interview show. But when the show proves a complete disaster, it falls to Mr. Carlson to fire his hero.

When Johnny thinks he's heard God's voice talking to him, everyone, including Johnny, thinks he's going insane.

Andy's sister Carol visits Cincinnati, and Andy sets up a date for her and Johnny. But Carol winds up going out with Venus instead, and Andy becomes instinctively angry about it.

Herb's father, a lifelong salesman who shares Herb's taste in clothes, runs away from the Shady Hills Rest Home and visits the station.

Bailey convinces Jennifer to accept a date with Herb in the hope that he'll get scared and back down.

Bailey and Les attend a press conference given by a group of visiting Russian hog experts. One of the Russians falls for Bailey and asks her to help him defect to the United States.

Les goes out on a date with a female fan, who proceeds to move into his apartment and take over his life.

At a concert by the Who in Cincinnati on December 3, 1979, eleven kids were trampled to death when the crowd rushed to get seats. The first part of this episode takes place before that concert; the second act takes place the day after, and presents the characters' reactions to the tragedy.

Johnny's daughter shows up and moves in, and Johnny has to decide whether to express his disapproval of the shiftless boyfriend she's brought along.

Mr. Carlson convinces Jennifer and Andy to pose in bathing suits for a ""Surf's Up in Cincinnati"" poster. After the photo session, the photographer secretly takes nude photos of Jennifer while she's changing.

Mr. Carlson convinces Jennifer and Andy to pose in bathing suits for a ""Surf's Up in Cincinnati"" poster. After the photo session, the photographer secretly takes nude photos of Jennifer while she's changing.

Venus is offered a job as program director of WREQ radio, but is disillusioned when he discovers how the station is run and why they want to hire him. Meanwhile, Herb circulates a rumor that he, too, has received a job offer.

Everyone starts bickering after the station loses a broadcasting award.

Mr. Carlson convinces Jennifer and Andy to pose in bathing suits for a ""Surf's Up in Cincinnati"" poster. After the photo session, the photographer secretly takes nude photos of Jennifer while she's changing.

Trying to compete with WPIG's traffic helicopter, Les starts doing traffic reports from a World War I biplane piloted by a crazy war veteran.

The staff helps Jennifer move into her new $125,000 house in the quiet suburb of Landersville. But she soon finds out that life in Landersville isn't as pleasant as she thought it would be.

When Herb's family is featured in the show ""Real Families"", he is sure that they can serve as an example of a clean living family. Unfortunately, the image Herb wants to convey is different from the reality shown on screen.

Mr. Carlson's wife goes into labor and the WKRP staffers all visit the hospital to be there when she gives birth.

Andy, Mr. Carlson and Herb visit Dayton to try and land the advertising account for Vicky Von Vickey jeans. While Mr. Carlson worries about the notorious Dayton poisoner, Herb romances an old high school acquaintance and Andy has trouble with his slide projector.

When Herb is called for jury duty, Andy takes over as sales manager and soon discovers just how tough it is trying to sell advertising time or collect from deadbeat clients. Meanwhile, Venus becomes acting program director and has to deal with Les's plan to disguise himself as a black man so that he can do a series of reports based on the book Black Like Me.

Once again, Mr. Carlson plans to give the staffers almost no Christmas bonuses. But in a dream brought on by eating one of Johnny Fever's brownies, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future visit him to show him the error of his ways.

On a day when the furnace has broken down, Mama Carlson pays a surprise visit to the station and catches Johnny drinking in the broadcast booth.

At Mr. Carlson's church auction, Herb buys a painting that Bailey loves. He tries to get Mr. Carlson or Bailey to buy it from him...until he learns that it might be valuable.

When Mr. Carlson rehearses a dull speech in front of the WKRP staff, all the staffers drift off into daydreams about what they would most like to be: Herb as a Latin-American dictator, Jennifer as a '30s movie star, Les as a reporter covering the Blitz in 1940, Bailey as the President of the United States, Andy as a radio Mafioso, Venus as a standup comedian, and Johnny as a rock star.

Herb has accidentally spray-painted his daughter's pet frog Greenpeace pink, and brings the frog to the station trying to find a way to save its life. Meanwhile, Les convinces Johnny that he is suffering from the dreaded ""schistosomiasis.""

The station's cleaning woman asks Venus to convince her big, tough teenage son not to drop out of school.

When Johnny is forced by contractual obligations to host a TV disco dance show, he adopts the persona of Rip Tide, a sleazy, phony, disco-spinning host. But, when off the air, he is soon bouncing back and forth between his Rip Tide and Johnny Fever personas, until he starts to realize that the dark side of his personality, as represented by Rip, is taking over.

When Johnny is forced by contractual obligations to host a TV disco dance show, he adopts the persona of Rip Tide, a sleazy, phony, disco-spinning host. But, when off the air, he is soon bouncing back and forth between his Rip Tide and Johnny Fever personas, until he starts to realize that the dark side of his personality, as represented by Rip, is taking over.

When Herb's choice as host of a new call-in advice show proves unable to go on the air, Jennifer takes over and becomes an instant success.

When it is announced that the Flimm Building is to be torn down, Bailey starts a campaign to have the building declared a Cincinnati landmark. Everyone pitches in to help, until Mr. Carlson gets his mother's permission to build a new and better building.

The secret service refuses to grant Les credentials for a Presidential press conference, suspecting him of having radical affiliations. It turns out that the man who raised Les wasn't his father, and that his real father was a card-carrying Communist.

Herb's three-martini business lunches with an ad agency representative are causing him to mess up even more than usual, and it begins to seem that his use of alcohol as a sales tool is turning into a drinking problem.

In honor of their twenty-fifth anniversary, Arthur and Carmen Carlson plan to get married again. They want a small, private ceremony, but Mama Carlson has other ideas.

Everyone is in the grip of urban paranoia after the station is robbed.

When Johnny learns that his first ex-wife is planning to remarry, he is overjoyed at the thought of not having to pay alimony, and celebrates by inviting Bailey to take a trip with him. But he feels less happy about the situation when he meets the obnoxious womanizer his ex-wife is going to marry.

Dr. Bob Halyers, head of the organization Clean Up Radio Broadcasting (CURB), visits Mr. Carlson with a list of ""obscene"" songs that he wants the station to stop playing- or else.

The station receives a bomb threat from the terrorist group Black Monday, and Andy sends Johnny and Venus out to broadcast from the transmitter while the station is being searched. Joyce Armor, Mr. Carlson's former receptionist, visits the station and tells Mr. Carlson she has a ""hot proposition"" for him. Johnny smashes the transmitter phone in a fit of rage after he's unable to place a call to his bookie.

Because of the smashed phone, Andy is unable to warn Johnny and Venus when he realizes that the bomb is at the transmitter. Meanwhile, Mr. Carlson visits Joyce Armor in her hotel room.

The staff of WKRP considers joining a union. Mr. Carlson is furious and rushes to his mother for advice, while Andy tries to appear neutral in this labor-management conflict.

While his apartment is being fumigated, Johnny accepts Bailey's offer to stay at her place, causing everyone at the station to think that the two are sleeping together. Johnny's also afraid that he's in danger of losing his time slot to Rex, the afternoon DJ, and when Bailey tries to cheer him up, he mistakes her friendliness for a come-on.

Herb tells everyone that he's going on vacation, but Les and Jennifer discover that he's actually checked into the hospital for heart tests.

While Herb is in the hospital, Mr. Carlson and Jennifer go to visit one of Herb's advertising clients. To finalize the deal, Mr. Carlson has to pretend to be Herb, and Jennifer gets Les to be Mr. Carlson. Johnny, who owes a gambling debt to a mobster, pretends to be Andy in order to escape from a hired thug.

When Johnny receives $24,000 in a legal settlement, Venus convinces him to use the money to invest in a condominium at Gone With the Wind Estates.

Colonel Buchanan, Jennifer's elderly gentleman friend, dies suddenly. As executrix of his will, Jennifer must deal with the press and with the Colonel's money-grubbing, rumor mongering relatives.

Mama Carlson hires a professional radio consultant to evaluate WKRP. The man she's hired, Norris Breeze, is an old friend of Andy's who also runs a radio programming service. Andy soon realizes that Breeze intends to give the station a bad report unless it subscribes to the service.

Andy starts taking Mama Carlson out after hours in the hopes of getting her to pay for a new transmitter for the station. But he begins to suspect that she might have more-than-businesslike expectations of him.

Mr. Carlson goes with Carmen to a college reunion where he learns the disillusioning truth about how he and Carmen first met; Bailey is frustrated in her attempts to get a computer for billing; Venus can't get a moment alone in the booth with his latest date.

Herb sells ad spots to a seller of ""diet pills""; after it turns out that the pills are a legalized way of selling speed to teenagers, it also turns out that the station can't legally get out of running the ads.

When Venus learns that he's going to be interviewed by a militant black magazine, he adopts a new wardrobe and manner in order to seem more in touch with black culture. Meanwhile, Jennifer offers to change Herb's image, starting with picking out new, tasteful clothes for him.

When a fire destroys the kitchen at the Vine Street Mission, Johnny recruits Jennifer to help raise the $40,000 dollars to rebuild it. Jennifer throws a party for her rich friends and asks them to contribute, and everything is going fine until the contributors meet the people involved.

Herb fixes Les up with a date through his latest client, the I'll Take Romance Dating Service. Les hits it off with his date immediately, not knowing that the dating service is a front for prostitution.

Venus's latest date gives him an expensive diamond earring as a gift and then runs out on him; it turns out that she's a thief who has used the stolen earring to frame Venus as her accomplice.

Herb and Jennifer are trapped in an elevator when a fire breaks out in the Flimm Building.

When Bailey writes a news story on the Northside Children's Clinic, Les steals it and reads it on the air. This turns out to be a blow to the station's integrity in more ways than one when Bailey admits that she fictionalized part of the story.

When Venus lets it slip that he was a schoolteacher before he came to WKRP, Andy has to tell Mama Carlson the truth about how he hired Gordon Sims as a DJ and how they came up with the persona of Venus Flytrap.

On his birthday, Les announces that he's going to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a world-famous broadcast journalist by auditioning for The CBS Evening News.

After Herb screws up an important advertising account, Mr. Carlson finally intends to fire him, but Jennifer takes pity on Herb and tries to help him keep his job.

Just as WKRP hits #6 in the ratings, Mama Carlson announces that she plans to switch the format of the station to 24 hours a day of news.