The series began when Andy Travis (played by Gary Sandy) comes to the station as the new programming director hired to attempt to improve the dismal ratings of the oldies station run by Arthur Carlson (played by Gordon Jump), a weak willed mamma's boy whose sole qualification as a manager is that his tycoon mother, Lillian Carson, owns the business. His first major move is to abruptly change the programming format to rock music with the gleeful cooperation of the disgraced DJ, Doctor Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman). Lillian Carson immediately comes down to confront Travis for this change and only relents when Arthur gets enough gumption to defend Andy's decision.
The series follows the radio station staff as they attempt to boost their ratings with all sorts of strange stunts. The most famous is the disastrous Thanksgiving promotion which consisted of dropping live turkeys out of a helicopter with Arthur Carson thinking they could fly. Instead we see the station's goofy news reporter, Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), breathlessly describing the fiasco in the same manner as Herbert Morrison when he witnessed the Hindenburg disaster.
External link: IMDB