SYNOPSIS:

Sam Allen, an ambitious young journalism school graduate, lands his first job at a start-up radio station. His boss, Dr. Goldberg, an eccentric plastic surgeon, runs his station like an expensive toy, frequently making irrational format changes and obliviously driving his small staff crazy. A multi-tasker, Goldberg holds staff meetings in his operating room¼during liposuction procedures. Sam and his friend Clinton are pop culture junkies still living in their parents’ basements. The two spend most of their free time and intelligence memorizing trivia and watching odd ball television--old esoteric reruns, campy religious broadcasting etc. When bookish Clinton isn’t busying himself with his bedroom’s vast array of computer and electronic equipment, he bides his time with grandiose, self-generated, but non-paying projects that virtually guarantee his continued parental dependence. During a jocular moment, Sam and Clinton make a wager. Whoever flees his respective basement first wins. Based in a small house adjacent to Goldberg’s medical office, the poorly constructed radio station leaves much to be desired. For one, the production room where commercials are produced doesn’t have an on-air light, even though the room’s back door opens directly on to the alley parking lot. The door also happens to be Goldberg’s entrance of choice, when clad in his cap and bloodied surgical gown and carrying a non-erasable marker, he greets the wary staff with his daily proclamation: “Changes! Changes! Changes!” When the frustrated general manager resigns on his first day, befuddled 20-something Sam is inexplicably appointed GM. Meanwhile, WMDR is attracting a broad range of misfits, including Gary, the top salesman, a toothless reprobate, who despite his grungy attire and foul language, sells far more ads than Emily, the perky, highly professional, six-figure-earning sales manager. She spends most of her days scratching her chin and endlessly planning the station’s sales kit. To no one’s surprise, incompetent talk hosts and embarrassing programming have the local radio audience keeping its distance. As the doctor tires of his flirtations with urology talk and heavy metal radio, the novelty wears thin and he is increasingly frustrated by the worthlessness of his toy. Intending to dump the station as soon as he can, Goldberg fires everyone¼except lucky Sam, whose salary is nonetheless eliminated. Instead, Goldberg lets Sam run the station and keep any money he manages to make, as long as he keeps the station on the air for legal reasons. Aided by Todd, a homeless ex-con living in the station, Sam sells vanity talk shows to gadflies, psychics and anyone else with cash in hand. Sam, who had foreseen an eventful high profile career in broadcasting, eventually resigns himself to his plight, much as Rosemary did in agreeing to raise her famous baby.