Cincinnati Needs A WKRP Landmark

Here’s a great idea from Jim Thompson, a huge "WKRP in Cincinnati" fan: He wants TV Land to erect a permanent tribute here to the beloved sitcom, a bronze statue of WKRP newsman Les Nessman, as part of the TV Land Landmark program.

http://www.tvland.com/landmarks/

Thompson, 59 of Clermont County’s Miami Township, wants all "WKRP" fans to nominate Nessman and Cincinnati for the TV Land Landmark statue at
http://www.tvland.com/landmarks/wheredo.jhtml

The cable network has put up bronze statutes of Mary Tyler Moore in Minneapolis; Bob Newhart in Chicago; Andy Griffith in Raleigh, N.C.; Jackie Gleason as bus driver Ralph Kramden in Manhattan; Elizabeth Montgomery from "Bewitched" in Salem, Mass.; and Elvis Presley in Honolulu, site of his 1973 concert.

So why not a bronze memorial for the Silver Sow Award-winning newsman? With turkeys lumped at his feet?

Of all the 'KRP crazies, Thompson picked newsman Nessman because he was at the center of the funniest episodes of the old CBS sitcom (1978-82).

"Most people will never forget Les's commentary in the famous Thanksgiving turkey drop episode. Like many of us, Les wasn't afraid to talk about something he knew nothing about, like sports, when he mispronounced golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez's name as 'Chy Chy Rod-ri-gqeeze.' There were many funny characters on that show, like the Big Guy and Dr. Johnny Fever, but none of them personified Cincinnati like Les," he says.

Thompson envisons a Lesman statute outside 617 Vine Street, the former Enquirer building, where the station was supposedly located. (Trivia buffs know they called it the Osgood R. Flimm building.)

Raymond "Buz" Buse, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber public relations manager, likes the idea. "It's something missing from our landscape. WKRP made Cincinnati a household name across the nation," he says. He'd like to see a tribute to each of Cincinnati's stars, possibly near the Aronoff Center. (Our own Walk of Fame? That's a cool idea too.)

But it may be too late for a WKRP statue, no matter how many online votes TV Land receives. Says Paul Ward, TV Land senior vice president: "TV Land is currently evaluating the landmarks initiates to see how it fits in with our branding strategy," he says. (It sounds like TV Land wants out of the statue business.)

I love the idea, especially with the 30th anniversary of the "WKRP" premiere this September. There should be a tribute to WKRP living on the ground in Cincinnati. Do you agree?