In 1957 a radio DJ nearly loses his life and his AM station, gambling with the mob. An autistic savant news intern, steps up and starts a talk radio show following the surprise Soviet launch of  Sputnik. It brings  fame, revives the station and saves the DJ from doom.

SYNOPSIS:

RADIO GIRL and the Sputnik Satellite Radio Show.

Synopsis

1957 WNYK Nick 1150 AM Radio, is a swing music station co-owned by Nick Nicolas and Daryl Lane, now facing its demise in the wake of a new music revolution called Rock N Roll. It has been in operation for 10 years and is seeing advertising revenue vanish due to the new competition. Nick manages the finances and spins the content watching his life’s work and savings shrink and disappear. To save the station, Nick goes back on the road, performing as a big band singer in Night clubs. Nick is prone to gamble when he gets stressed and has taken on a desperate gambling debt with the Mob. At the Green Mill jazz club in Chicago, Nick in a last-ditch effort to make payroll for the station, rolls dice in a high stakes game of crap. He wins every throw and then later, while going to his car he gets mugged and almost killed by a couple of clown masked goons, working for the mob. His life gets saved in the last second by the startling appearance of a mysterious shadow. It spooks the clowns who run away, afraid of being witnessed. The shadow then follows Nick on the road home and tells him he will soon be killed if he doesn’t change his course. When Nick arrives at the station next day, he reveals the truth to the staff that the station is broke and he alone is responsible. The staff walk out, including Daryl who is unwilling to come in for the save, again.

Oct 2nd prompted by Daryl, a young autistic savant, Tracy Albright knocks on the station door, looking for a job as a news anchor. She appears bewildered like Lucile Ball and oddly dressed cosplay like Pippi Longstocking. This startles Nick who attempts to attack her, thinking she is a messenger from the clowns coming to collect for the mob. Tracy quick and agile avoids being struck and proceeds to emasculate Nick in an amazing quick and clever verbal takedown. Dumbfounded, Nick then realizes that she has been sent by Daryl to help at the station. Nick reluctant at first agrees to let Tracy stay and assist in keeping the station afloat. After a rough start, Tracy is accepted and begins reading the news. Her first real job.

Oct 5, the greatest news story of the decade breaks worldwide. The Russians have blasted a rocket into space carrying what the public believes to be a spy satellite. The Pentagon is more concerned about the rocket that carries the satellite, and the media ratchets up fear in the mainstream narrative.

Tracy, a quick and creative thinker, boldly decides to create a talk show and invite the local listeners to call in and comment. Along the way, she also verbally disarms Bonzo the clown a hit man calling in looking for Nick. She de-escalates the clown, taking pressure off Nick and the station. This has amazing results for the morale and the talk show grows exponentially. Listeners from all walks of life, both near and far call in to update fellow Americans with their views, visions, and opinions about the Sputnik Satellite. Tracy mixes these local calls with real headline news flashes gleaned from her short-wave radio and the daily news. She dons the moniker of RADIO GIRL and brands the news hour The Sputnik Satellite Radio Show and it becomes a big hit nation wide. As result, it attracts the attention of local and national advertising money. Nick marvels at her success and sets up a nation-wide syndication for the show. It attracts the ultimate advertiser, GM Motors, Cadillac Brand. This stabilizes the station financially and allows Nick to pay his debts. Nick in turn gets invited to a golf tournament hosted by GM and ups his game and his fortunes.

As Radio Girl’s fame grows, she attracts the attention of Becky Phillips, program manager of WHER 1430 AM all girl radio station in Memphis. Becky interviews Radio Girl with fascination as she reveals her ASD condition, unafraid and confidently. Radio Girl speaks for those with invisible disabilities and encourages listeners everywhere to release their fear and chase their dreams. She absolutely wins the admiration of Becky and the gals of WHER, who have all come to be fans and welcome her for a visit to Memphis. Tracy agrees and asks Becky to arrange a visit with Elvis when she is in town. Becky says FOR SURE!

An Avian flu breaks out in the winter of 1957, Daryl is infected and hospitalized with Pneumonia and is at deaths door. Nick and Tracy race to the hospital to be with their mentor and dear friend in his time of need. The bond between these three is deeply felt in the hospital room. Tracy’s mom, Odette who is also present, completes the circuit and Daryl is encircled by his loved ones. Nick leaves for the airport and returns next morning with Daryl’s closest friends from New Orleans. The hospital room transforms into a healing sanctuary and a miraculous Tibetan sound bath ceremony pulls Daryl out of the coma. It is followed by a meditative gratitude chant lead by a Himalayan Llama, this communal action induces an expectorant episode and Daryl begins clearing his lungs of fluid and can breath deeply.

Dam Choii is a dear old friend Daryl first met in the deep south during the 1920’s, when Daryl was recovering from addiction. Pauline, Tara, Dam Choii and Daryl were all loyal practitioners of the 5 Tibetan Rights. Daryl continued this daily practice of meditation and Tibetan yoga privately at home unbeknownst to anyone.

By New Years eve the Sputnik story has grown old, and Radio Girl has decided to take the bonus offered by Nick to move on. Nick reconciles with the radio station staff. They agree to return to work with back pay. Radio Girl convinces Nick to change the format of the radio station to Rock N Roll and he agrees. She then heads to Memphis to visit WHER all female radio station and then onto London. Once there she will be interviewed by BBC to cover world events as a news anchor. Fin for now.