# Ugh...WKRP in Cincinnati...KRP...KRAP **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 24, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235 "2015-12-24T03:48:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/1 "2015-12-24T03:48:47Z")
A friend and I were chatting online. He mentioned an actor and couldn’t place him, and I realized he meant an actor on _WKRP in Cincinnati_. For whatever reason, as soon as I typed WKRP, I got it. I really, really hope I’m not the last person on the planet to figure that out. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/2 "2015-12-24T03:57:10Z")
Figure what out? Their mascot was a carp. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/3 "2015-12-24T04:06:39Z")
I loved that episode where the carp got into a fight with the other mascot. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/4 "2015-12-24T04:12:23Z")
The WPIG Pig. Yes, that was good. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/5 "2015-12-24T04:15:20Z")
Now, radio station KOME in San Francisco… that’s a different story. “Don’t touch that dial; you’ve got KOME on it!” \*\* \*\* Actual radio ad ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/6 "2015-12-24T04:16:21Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > I really, really hope I’m not the last person on the planet to figure that out. I dunno. Wanna go bowling? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/7 "2015-12-24T04:19:04Z")
Wasn’t there an episode where an employee from a competing station said it stood for CRAP? Maybe the one about the softball game. My memory is faded about it. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/8 "2015-12-24T05:15:35Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > A friend and I were chatting online. He mentioned an actor and couldn’t place him, and I realized he meant an actor on _WKRP in Cincinnati_. > > For whatever reason, as soon as I typed WKRP, I got it. > > I really, really hope I’m not the last person on the planet to figure that out. Call letters are so random I never made that association. In looking at the wiki and on the net there are a few people asking the same question but I don’t see any verifiable evidence this was the sub text intent of the call letters. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/9 "2015-12-24T06:07:37Z")
Wasn’t it supposed to have originally been a station that specialized in agricultural news? In that case, the KRP could have been for “crop”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/10 "2015-12-24T06:19:35Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Call letters are so random I never made that association. In looking at the wiki and on the net there are a few people asking the same question but I don’t see any verifiable evidence this was the sub text intent of the call letters. I’ve never known whether it was intentional or not, but since I became aware of the show, it’s always been W-CRAP in my mind. That said, I’ve never seen the carp episode. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/11 "2015-12-24T06:33:57Z")
Well, _Mad Magazine_’s parody of the show ran [back in October 1980](http://www.madcoversite.com/mad218.html) and was titled _WKRAP in Cincinnati_, so it’s not like you guys are Columbus, here. [sub]Get it? Cincinnati, Columbus…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/12 "2015-12-24T06:38:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve never known whether it was intentional or not, but since I became aware of the show, it’s always been W-CRAP in my mind. That was what my mom always called it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/13 "2015-12-24T08:10:42Z")
Yeah, but Lonnie Anderson… ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/14 "2015-12-24T13:23:13Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > The WPIG Pig. Yes, that was good. Those swine! ---
**Author:** ![CerealKiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@CerealKiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CerealKiller)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/15 "2015-12-24T13:35:11Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Yeah, but Lonnie Anderson… Loni was amazing, but I was a Jan Smithers (Bailey Quarters) fan myself. She was one of my first TV crushes. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/16 "2015-12-24T13:45:29Z")
I always ALWAYS thought WKRP stood for W-Krap. Otherwise, what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/17 "2015-12-24T13:54:58Z")
I seem to recall when they introduced the Carp one character (Bailey?) asked another (Johnnie?) “What does KRP spell?” The look on the other characters face clearly showed he was thinking “Crap?” until she says “A Carp!” ---
**Author:** ![bunyupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/18 "2015-12-24T14:59:00Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Now, radio station KOME in San Francisco… that’s a different story. > > “Don’t touch that dial; you’ve got KOME on it!” \*\* > > \*\* Actual radio ad I thought they were “… the KOME spot on your radio dial”😃 ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/19 "2015-12-24T15:14:15Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Now, radio station KOME in San Francisco… that’s a different story. > > “Don’t touch that dial; you’ve got KOME on it!” \*\* > > \*\* Actual radio ad San Jose. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235/20 "2015-12-24T15:28:39Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I loved that episode where the carp got into a fight with the other mascot. “I’m a giant carp, Andy!” “I know you are, Herb.” Funny thing about that episode (called “Fish Story”). It was written by series creator Hugh Wilson, though it’s credited to the pseudonym Raoul Plager. Wilson was getting demands from the network to add more physical comedy and general “wackiness” to the show. He wrote “Fish Story” to be deliberately as ridiculous, over-the-top, and dumbed-down as possible, in the belief that it would demonstrate how those sort of hijinks just didn’t work for WKRP. He was confident that the audience would utterly reject that kind of “cheap, low-brow” comedy. To his horror, the episode was a huge hit, and has become a fan favorite. To this day, he continues to hate it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-wkrp-in-cincinnati-krp-krap/741235.md?page=2)