Radio: Happy Station

Manhattan’s independent radio station WNEW, convinced that listeners want mostly music and news, has placarded buses and taxis with the promise that there are “no sob stories. . . no horror stories” on WNEW.

This week, to show its listeners what they were missing, and how glad they should be, WNEW was punctuating its station breaks with burlesque versions of soap operas and crime thrillers. Sample: “And now . . .Chapter 2025 of Barbara Babbitt, Girl Ranger. Yesterday, you’ll recall, we left Barbara pleading with the district attorney for the life of Cuddles, her Oriental leopard. Meanwhile,unknown to either Barbara or Cuddles, Wambly Townsend, the handsome young accountant, is at this very moment flying to the state capital to ask. . . for a reprieve. Will Wambly Townsend succeed in his desperate race against time? Does Barbara know he is secretly in love with Judith, Barbara’s young stepsister? . . . who, however, is still in love with her first husband. . .”

Before a news-and-music-loving listener had time to switch to another station, the announcer broke in with: “Who cares? This is WNEW, our happy station. No sob stories . . . just plenty of good music and the latest news 24 hours a day.”