The show finished the 1981-82 season ranked #55 and did not the make the 1982-83 CBS Fall Schedule

Info found in Tv Book-'American Television"-by Marc Eliot

Yeah, that'll do it.

However, the ratings apparently spiked somewhat toward the end of the season, and the summer reruns got good ratings -- making it pretty clear to CBS that they'd made a mistake, but by then it was too late (Hesseman and Anderson had taken other jobs, and Sandy signed to do a play).

However, the ratings apparently spiked somewhat toward the end of the season, and the summer reruns got good ratings -- making it pretty clear to CBS that they'd made a mistake, but by then it was too late (Hesseman and Anderson had taken other jobs, and Sandy signed to do a play).
Yea I heard that CBS had a change of heart after the summer reruns but it was to late by then.

However, the ratings apparently spiked somewhat toward the end of the season, and the summer reruns got good ratings -- making it pretty clear to CBS that they'd made a mistake, but by then it was too late (Hesseman and Anderson had taken other jobs, and Sandy signed to do a play).


Well the show couldn't deliver when the ratings counted the most so CBS should not have had any regrets. That like a Pro Team being UNDEFEATED In Preseason but in the Regular season they were WINLESS-lol

It didn't help that the moron programmers at CBS moved the show around like 8 times in the four years it was on the air. The reason the ratings were high the summer after it was cancelled was that it was the first time they left it in one time slot.

It didn't help that the moron programmers at CBS moved the show around like 8 times in the four years it was on the air. The reason the ratings were high the summer after it was cancelled was that it was the first time they left it in one time slot.
exactly. I watched the show back then but it wasn't continually because half the time I didn't know what day it was on.

The show finished the 1981-82 season ranked #55 and did not the make the 1982-83 CBS Fall Schedule

Info found in Tv Book-'American Television"-by Marc Eliot

the show was #7 in the ratings the very week that cbs decided to cancel it.
but that was too little too late:(

the show was #7 in the ratings the very week that cbs decided to cancel it.
but that was too little too late:(


A show doing well in the ratings in the summer means nothing. It counts between Sept and May, not June to August

If CBS would have kept it in one timeslot it would have been a bigger hit. As soon as it hit syndication it was a major hit. I don't think CBS knew what they had until it was to late.

If CBS would have kept it in one time slot it would have been a bigger hit. As soon as it hit syndication it was a major hit. I don't think CBS knew what they had until it was to late.

Tim Reid said that WKRP in cincinnati was NOT a loved show by CBS and they wanted to destroy it!

Howard Hesseman once said that every time WKRP cracked the top 20 in the ratings CBS would move it to another time slot explaining why the show had 12 time slot changes in four years:confused:

Richard Sanders said the reason WKRP in cincinnati was was so successful in syndication and went on to become one of the biggest money makers in the history of television is because people KNEW WHERE TO FIND IT

shame on CBS:mad:
shame on Harvey Shepherd and Budd Grant the executives that were in charge of scheduling at CBS in the early 1980's:o

Tim Reid said that WKRP in cincinnati was NOT a loved show by CBS and they wanted to destroy it!

Howard Hesseman once said that every time WKRP cracked the top 20 in the ratings CBS would move it to another time slot explaining why the show had 12 time slot changes in four years:confused:

Richard Sanders said the reason WKRP in cincinnati was was so successful in syndication and went on to become one of the biggest money makers in the history of television is because people KNEW WHERE TO FIND IT

shame on CBS:mad:
shame on Harvey Shepherd and Budd Grant the executives that were in charge of scheduling at CBS in the early 1980's:o


Well maybe they wanted WKRP to crack the Top Ten-lol

Well maybe they wanted WKRP to crack the Top Ten-lol
it would've if cbs kept it on Monday nights at 9:30 after M*A*S*H:D

it would've if cbs kept it on Monday nights at 9:30 after M*A*S*H:D



During the 1980-81 season, WKRP went up agianst TWO NEW SHOWS in it's time slot and still could not crack the top 20.

During the summer of 1982, right after WKRP was cancelled, it reached number one or two in the ratings all summer long. So yeah, CBS regretted it.

During the summer of 1982, right after WKRP was cancelled, it reached number one or two in the ratings all summer long. So yeah, CBS regretted it.


Well the Summer is not what matters, it's the TV season that matters and they couldn't gra an audience when the ratings counted. So CBS shouldn't have regreted it-lol

But they did, according to later reports in TV Guide. They regretted it, but the sets had been scrapped, and actors had been released from contracts....so it would have been difficult to re-start.

But TV Guide said CBS definitely regretted it.

But they did, according to later reports in TV Guide. They regretted it, but the sets had been scrapped, and actors had been released from contracts....so it would have been difficult to re-start.

But TV Guide said CBS definitely regretted it.



Well that's surprising to hear especially since the summer season is not what counts

But they did, according to later reports in TV Guide. They regretted it, but the sets had been scrapped, and actors had been released from contracts....so it would have been difficult to re-start.

But TV Guide said CBS definitely regretted it.
also Gary Sandy,Loni Anderson & Howard Hesseman found other acting jobs when CBS wanted to renew the show for the 5th season

Yeah Having MASH as a lead-in certainy helps. and Monday night s "Must see TV" r CBS.

Yeah Having MASH as a lead-in certainy helps. and Monday night s "Must see TV" r CBS.


Yeah having Mr. Merlin as a Lead in will get you YANKED every time:lol: :lol:

That's what I was going to say. That was the final nail in the coffin for them.

For some reason, CBS did not like this show, but kept it around because it did have OK ratings, and probably the main advertising demographic liked the show.
MTM productions also made the show, so the network wanted to be nice with them. Basically, it was moved around so the network could kill it. This is what happened to Star Trek on NBC. Even though CBS got more "hip" in the 1970's with their programming, in many ways, they were still conservative. WKRP may have done better on ABC or if on a decade later, FOX.

WKRP did have a series finale. Mama Carlson was going to make WKRP 24 hours news and fire everyone. Good finale actually.

For some reason, CBS did not like this show, but kept it around because it did have OK ratings, and probably the main advertising demographic liked the show.
MTM productions also made the show, so the network wanted to be nice with them. Basically, it was moved around so the network could kill it. This is what happened to Star Trek on NBC. Even though CBS got more "hip" in the 1970's with their programming, in many ways, they were still conservative. WKRP may have done better on ABC or if on a decade later, FOX.

WKRP did have a series finale. Mama Carlson was going to make WKRP 24 hours news and fire everyone. Good finale actually.

How did you know CBS didn't like the show

This was something that I have read about the CBS executives and WKRP. One piece of evidence was that it was moved around the schedule a lot. It stayed on for as long as it did because MTM productions was behind it and young demographic liked the program. WKRP is also (to me) sort of a cult series, and it never really got that great of ratings. It was a round the middle of the pack in ratings.

From Wikipedia....

Partway through the second season, the show was moved back to its original earlier time. CBS executives wanted to free up the prized post-M*A*S*H slot for House Calls (with former M*A*S*H star Wayne Rogers). They also felt that the rock n' roll music and the sex appeal of Loni Anderson were better-suited to the earlier slot, which at that time was thought of as mostly aimed at young people. The mid-season timeslot change didn't decline the show's success; WKRP finished at #22 in the ratings for its second year. For the next two seasons, however, the writers and producers often had to fight CBS over what kind of content was appropriate for a show in the so-called "family hour".

End Wikipedia....

Another thing was by the late 1970's, their shows that revitialized CBS in the 1970's were old and dying and they were looking for the next big thing. WKRP wasn't it. Again, if Mary Tyler Moore's production company were not behind it, it probably would have been cancelled sooner.

I remember; when CBS used to rerun it late at night back in 1981 or 82, and when the reruns went into sydnication, I saw a lot of episodes for the first time because; even though I always tried to watch it when it was on, they moved it around so much that half the time I didn't know what night and time it was on.

I remember; when CBS used to rerun it late at night back in 1981 or 82, and when the reruns went into sydnication, I saw a lot of episodes for the first time because; even though I always tried to watch it when it was on, they moved it around so much that half the time I didn't know what night and time it was on.


I can see how that would get irritating, especially if you didn't have a TV guide:lol:

you're right Sol; it was ***** irritating!!

you're right Sol; it was ***** irritating!!


And the problem with your show moving to a new slot may mean it's on the same time as another show you like so in 1981 you had to make a decision because it wasn't any VCR or DVR at that time.

true-I remember those days and how frustrating that was.


Actually VCRs came out in the early 70s, but they were big, heavy and expensive so a lot of people didn't have them.

it was a very popular show, it had a lot of buzz and general interest at the time, but man they just screwed with the time slots so bad no one could ever find it - you never knew when it was going to air and whether it was going to be a rerun (which were still awesome and got good ratings ) or not.

i was so mad when they cancelled it - and they didn't really announce that it was cancelled, I think they tried to keep it quiet so fans wouldn't complain

I liked the show but I barely watched it when it originally aired. I usually caught it during the summer. Every year it was moved and it was very frustrating. It just wasn't worth the trouble. I got hooked on the show more after it went into syndication during the 1980's.

I totally agree. WKRP was an outstanding ensemble sitcom that was ruined by too many time slot changes. if it stayed at one time for the majority of its run, it would have had a better chance of a long, healthy run.

I totally agree. WKRP was an outstanding ensemble sitcom that was ruined by too many time slot changes. if it stayed at one time for the majority of its run, it would have had a better chance of a long, healthy run.


And in those days the only way to find out about time changes was through the TV guide which not everyone subscribed to which explains the poor ratings:lol:

WKRP did have a series finale. Mama Carlson was going to make WKRP 24 hours news and fire everyone. Good finale actually.

There's even a parallel with the CBS execs not wanting the show to be successful and Mama Carlson not wanting the station to be successful, as revealed in that final episode.

I totally agree. WKRP was an outstanding ensemble sitcom that was ruined by too many time slot changes. if it stayed at one time for the majority of its run, it would have had a better chance of a long, healthy run.that was only the 3rd & 4th seasons. I agree though; that's what led to it's cancelation.

And in those days the only way to find out about time changes was through the TV guide which not everyone subscribed to which explains the poor ratings:lol:
or thru the listings in the newspaper or on-air promos.

For some reason, CBS did not like this show, but kept it around because it did have OK ratings, and probably the main advertising demographic liked the show.
MTM productions also made the show, so the network wanted to be nice with them. Basically, it was moved around so the network could kill it. This is what happened to Star Trek on NBC. Even though CBS got more "hip" in the 1970's with their programming, in many ways, they were still conservative. WKRP may have done better on ABC or if on a decade later, FOX.

WKRP did have a series finale. Mama Carlson was going to make WKRP 24 hours news and fire everyone. Good finale actually.

Yea it should have been on ABC to start with or moved to ABC after four years on CBS or Maybe on NBC.