Template:Wikify-dateA number of different forms of media exist in the world of animation series The Simpsons. Some of these are fictional - such as the Springfield Shopper or KBBL Radio. Others are not - inhabitants of Springfield appear to receive all major television networks, with the show's parody of Fox News possibly the most memorable inclusion.
Fictional media
TV & radio
KBBL
In the fictional universe of The Simpsons, KBBL is the call sign used for radio and television stations that broadcast from Springfield. All three are owned by the fictional KBBL Broadcasting Inc.
KBBL-FM's frequency is 102.5 FM, and its morning show is hosted by Bill and Marty.
Its co-owned AM sister station, KBBL at 970 AM, although until recently it was at 580 AM, is a talk radio station and one of its shows is hosted by Birch Barlow (a Rush Limbaugh parody) and another by Jerry Rude (a Howard Stern parody). This station also covers sporting events. Coincidentally, a real-world KBBL-AM, with a sports talk format, broadcasts at 1250 AM from Little Rock, Arkansas. According to one episode, KBBL's slogan is "No sports, no rock, no information; for mindless chatter, we're your station." Which leads to KBBL, for K-Babble.
KBBL-TV or KBBL-DT (in recent episodes) (Channel 6) is the fictional television station in Springfield, the home of television personalities Kent Brockman and Krusty the Clown. Its slogan is "We're Channel 6, Just Catch Us Now!" (parody of NBC's 1982-1983 promotional slogan "(We're NBC Just Watch Us Now)". Channel 6 is believed to be the local FOX affiliate.
In the real world, there is a television station using the KBBL calls: Univision affiliate KBBL-CA channel 9 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Also, KWFT in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, located in the market of real-life Springfield, Missouri (but actually serving the Fort Smith-Fayetteville market), changed its call letters to KBBL-TV on July 6, 2006. It is presently a WB affiliate; it could eventually end up with The CW, Univision, or Retro Television Network, but almost certainly not Fox. The choice of KBBL call letters by Equity Broadcasting, parent of both stations, may or may not suggest a future Univision affiliation for KBBL-TV; Equity likes to use former radio call letters from its hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas as TV call letters, and KBBL was once used by a Little Rock radio station.
KJAZZ-FM is a jazz station in Springfield with a broadcast range of 23 feet and a morning show is hosted by Hans Moleman. It briefly made an appearance in the episode 'Round Springfield.
In one Simpsons Halloween special, an invasion by zombies led a town radio station, presumably KBBL, to change its call sign and format to "KZMB, All-Zombie Radio." The programming consisted of zombies grunting and moaning.
Note that in the United States, the vast majority of radio stations west of the Mississippi River have call signs beginning with "K," while those in the eastern states begin with "W." Lest viewers interpret call letters as a hint toward Springfield's ___location, one episode mentions the easy-listening station WKOMA although this was to avoid confusion with real-world station KOMA, since stations cannot have five-letter call signs.
Channel Ocho
| Type | Spanish Language Local |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | Local terrestrial |
| Owner | KBBL-TV (Channel 6) |
| Key people | Bumblebee Man |
Channel Ocho is the Spanish language television station for Springfield. The main show is Bumblebee Man's comedy show (sponsored by Goya), a fast paced, surreal, slapstick comedy show about an unlucky giant bumblebee. It is also known for showing soccer matches.
The channel is part of the wider KBBL media corporation.
Eye on Springfield
Eye on Springfield is a show presented by the character Kent Brockman (voiced by Harry Shearer). The show within a show is a parody of "Eye on LA" and other TV news magazine shows and entertainment journalism, particularly when they are attempted by small media market TV outlets.
In the US, TV stations are required to have "local interest" programming to show concern for the community needs, and stations frequently satisfy this requirement with local arts programming. Eye on Springfield is a parody of such programs, in that it shows a small market local events program attempting to imitate network journalism and entertainment reporting. At times Eye on Springfield seems to be taking 60 Minutes as its target, but it most consistently satirizes Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood. Whenever Lisa Simpson or Homer Simpson do something newsworthy or controversial, they appear on Eye on Springfield.
The show is often used as a way to open an episode of The Simpsons, with Kent Brockman standing in front of a lake saying "Hello. I'm Kent Brockman, and this is `Eye On Springfield'". The starting sequence varies slightly in each appearance, but always feature a montage of bikini-clad women at various Springfield monuments and clips of Kent Brockman living a celebrity lifestyle, washing a Mercedes or eating sushi in a Japanese spa.
Smartline
Smartline is a parody of network television cultural affairs programs. The character Kent Brockman (voiced by Harry Shearer) hosts the show-within-the-show. While "Smartline" might be a parody of the NBC news show, Dateline, its clearest model is ABC's Nightline, as it features only the host and a single guest being questioned skeptically. There is also a satirical hint that Nightline takes its intellectual credentials too seriously. However, Smartline is also a parody of small market television stations that attempt to emulate serious journalism. Instead of having nationally known political leaders, Kent Brockman's "Smartline" will have Lisa Simpson or Professor Frink.
On The Simpsons, Smartline has been featured less often than Eye on Springfield, the entertainment tabloid show hosted by Kent Brockman.
My Two Cents
Another Channel 6 program, Kent Brockman (and sometimes others) give their own personal, and often dire opinions on the going-ons in Springfield and what should be done to solve the problem.
Newspapers
| The Springfield Shopper | |
|---|---|
| File:News 117.jpg | |
| Type | Daily local newspaper |
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owners | Springfield News Group, Inc |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Political position | Varies |
| Headquarters | Springfield, United States of America |
| Website | www.springfieldshopper.com |
The Springfield Shopper is the most commonly recurring local newspaper in Springfield. It carries opinion, sport, food, world, arts, religion and leisure sections. It tends towards tabloid stories, with such headlines as 'Woman Weds Ape', 'Hippo promoted to detective' and 'Crazed Mom Goes Topless (Photos Pages 3-28)'. The Shopper merged with the Springfield Times, Post, Globe, Herald, Jewish News, and Hot Sex Weekly
The cost of the newspaper tends to vary between nothing and $1.00, with the average price being 25¢.
Homer Simpson has worked for the newspaper as a food critic. After initially being too kind (giving a slice of pizza he found under the sofa 9 out of 10, deducting a point for having a Hot Wheels car stuck on it), he switched to becoming a cruel critic, and was almost murdered by a disgruntled baker with a poisoned éclair. The newspaper was also bought briefly by Montgomery Burns, who was on a mission to control all the media of Springfield, and by the The Movementarians, an evil cult who were attempting to brainwash all Springfieldians.
The lower headline will generally be a joke either about the upper headlines, or about journalism in general ("Second headline less important, studies show").