Over the decades, radio has had its share of pop culture moments—on TV and in movies, in particular. From Good Morning, Vietnam to WKRP, AM and FM stations have enjoyed their cameos as settings and even as plot devices. Whether it was Kelsey Grammar’s “Frasier Crane” or Clint Eastwood’s late night DJ in Play Misty For Me, radio has often been in the Hollywood spotlight.
But it’s been awhile. As radio has found itself under attack, primarily by digital media, the times when stations and DJs have had their moments in the sun have diminished. The days when you tell someone you work in radio, you’re likely to hear the retort, “Does anyone listen to radio anymore?”
That’s why I perked up when I learned the ultra-popular Netflix show, Stranger Things, will make radio a centerpiece in its season 5, the show’s finale. Matt and Ross Duffer created Stranger Things way back in 2016, and the show has enjoyed an impressive run. It has been especially popular among 18-29 year-olds, as well as broader audiences that appreciate its 1980s setting.
Stranger Things has proved it has the power to resuscitate past hits. Last season, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill“—a 1985 release—made an incredible comeback thanks to the show. In fact, it became an even bigger hit than when it was originally released. I blogged about it when the song—and Bush—returned to the pop culture center stage thanks to the appeal of Stranger Things. You can check it out here.
So, the question is, could the show help shine a spotlight on the glamor, mystery, and rich history of radio when the first episode of the new season drops on November 26? Will today’s young people watch the show and come away with a positive feeling about radio and (gasp!) working in radio stations?
I did some digging around the web to try to get a handle on how the fictional WSQK (“The Squawk”) at 94.5 will play into the plot line. Stranger Things has spawned sub-industries of conspiracy theorists trying to interpret deeper meanings, plot lines, and “easter eggs” that appear in every episode.
We know, for example, the fifth episode of the new season will be called “Shock Jock,” but little else is known aside from the fact the station figures to play a starring role in connecting to the populace of Hawkins, Indiana, the fictitious town where it takes place. You can see how it is set, lit, and showcased in the first :15 of this official trailer:
Interestingly, the show’s producer based WSQK on a real radio station—WPTF in Durham, North Carolina—owned by Don Curtis of Curtis Media. The art deco building is no longer in use, but the structure itself is reminiscent of how radio stations looked eighty years or so years ago.
Thanks to Heather Leah who goes by “The Hidden Historian,” we can see inside this relic of a radio station building—and it’s clearly a
throwback to the glory days of radio. You can check out her photo essay of WPTF here.
Is this new season of Stranger Things likely to spur a revival of sorts for broadcast radio? While that seems unlikely, we’ve all witnessed the power that a pop culture juggernaut like a hit TV show can do. And by glorifying AM/FM radio’s storied past, the industry could feel a lift from newfound attention. Clearly, vinyl, cassettes, and CDs have all enjoyed comebacks, often driven by the youngest consumers—the core audience of Stranger Things.
The idea of “marketing radio” and doing a better job of “getting radio’s message out there” has been on the table for decades. Given the challenges facing the medium in 2025, such an effort will unlikely ever see the light of day. Nor would it be likely to work.
But driven by a third party—in this case, a hit show on the biggest streaming platform on the planet—might be even better than any effort to market broadcast radio to a hopelessly fragmented population of consumers. The “radio station” is already being used in pre-marketing for Stranger Things, season five.
Google searches reveal the following:
- Role in Season 5: WSQK “The Squawk” 94.5 FM will act as a new central hub for the main characters, replacing the Wheeler basement as their base of operations.
- Plot significance: The gang will use the station to hide from government soldiers while hunting for Vecna and dealing with the Upside Down.
- Promotional tie-ins: The fictional radio station is being used for promotional events and merchandise, such as pop-up “Radio Room” experiences and branded clothing and accessories.
In the same way that television spawned merch for the fictitious company in the The Office—Dunder Mifflin—or the made-up TV network in
Succession—Waystar Royco—it’s no surprise the Netflix Shop is already cranking out wearables around WSQK. You can shop for it here.
What’s in it for radio? A revival? Renewed interest among young people?
Who knows?
Stranger things have happened.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
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Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Excellent article. If anyone ever has time … visiting some transmitter sites are in art deco buildings from the day when every transmitter location also had a studio. Thank you for sharing Fred.
You ARE a guru! Thanks for chiming in, Mike.
I think the question should not be ‘is radio ready for the attention?’ but ‘can radio stand the scrutiny?’
There is a real possibility that current radio will fair poorly against any nostalgic look at radio past. Especially the smaller market stations who are already facing many challenges. A radio station in 2025 looks (and sounds) much different that a radio station in the 80s (the time frame for Stranger Things).
If your expectation of a radio station is based on a TV or movie depiction, I think the reality of walking into a radio station today would look nothing like you expected. The best radio always had a bit of anarchy to it (and the characters to pull it off). Compare that to a computer in a room. Old radio looked fun and exciting; new radio looks boring.
Paul, I don’t totally disagree with your assessment, though I would argue the larger market stations tend to be far more automated and stiff than small market ones. I’ve lived and worked in both and am currently in market 112 and there is more going on in local radio here that sounds like the radio I grew up with in the 80s than when I was in market 30.
Paul, you had me with that great (and depressing) opening line. And logic suggests you’re right.
But as the young swashbucklers in the late 60s proved, all it takes is one daring visionary with a transmitter and a tower.
Ive got a classic ’70s Gatesway 80 console hanging out in my garage without any real purpose in life, other than it was the first board I used when I went ‘pro’ back in ’79. Ive considered selling it to a local props house in the Richmond VA area to use for TV or movie shoots where a “classic” studio is envisioned, but these shows are few and far between.
Any suggestions what I should do?
Might want to try to sell it to a props comppany. Maybe the Duffer Bros. are onto something. 🙂
Squawk Rawk! Anyone? Hello? Is this thing on? At the very least, I’d expect morning shows to be “airchecking” episodes to discuss obvious radio scenes (true, not true – those are “carts,” that’s how it used to be, etc.).
I knew YOU would get in the spirit of this!
I think this might — just might — get a few people interested in checking out our ancient signals.
But if what they hear once they are tuned in has too much of the clutter that had to have been part of their decision to leave us in the first place, then they’ll come and go quickly … and we’re not likely to have a “third chance”.
I know this is heresy to a lot of programmers who have survived up to now, but we need to take a clue from the competing platforms’ programming and become a free, ad-supported, uncluttered music source.
I’ve adjusted to programming that way, and it’s saleable to local advertisers (which is the revenue we need to keep going).
That’s pretty radical thinking, K.M. Not far off from the mindset that guided FM radio “back in the day.”
The New York Times recently carried an article about how people break away from the problematic algorithms of streaming music to discover new and interesting music and the author included (maybe shockingly for a millennial) radio (and even streaming radio stations from around the world). Besides the nostalgia, radio can be a real a place for a new generation who is looking for connection and wants to be surprised and delighted.
And as we know, Frank, FM radio can look pretty darn romantic. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Just to clarify, WPTF is in Raleigh, North Carolina. The art deco structure is indeed still in use as the transmitter building. Contrary to some stories on the interwebs, that building has only been used as the transmitter building, never as studios. WPTF turned 100 years old in 2023 and airs on 680 AM (and several FM translators).
It’s funny that we are all nostalgic for the glory days of radio and then in the same breath ask why no one wants to work in radio. Corporate radio is no longer local, it’s no longer live and thus no longer relevant. I can get my favorite songs online quicker, I can get the weather online easier and, as there is no local talent anymore, I have zero emotional attachment to the station. When local radio does find someone to work for the $3.27 per hour (with promises of remotes that never come) they are so green that are unlistenable. So the real question is how can radio remove the corporate shackles and get back to something that I want to listen to?
Joe, you ask a lot of good questions here. As for the corporate assignment of blame, I think it’s more than that. Too many try to take the easy, scalable, formulaic way out. Making great local Radio is hard work. There’s just no way around that.