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#5205-46
KJEM
Written by Christy Marx

Synopsis:
The radiostation KMEL is about to go out of business when their senior DJ and engineer is offered three times the money to come work for KBST. A man comes by to make an offer for his anonymous employer, for the purchase of KMEL. But some teenagers who have been working there for their communications course, offer to help Elzer Marcus run things and get more volunteers so that KMEL won't have to be sold. They get until he sign off air tonight to find someone to pay the bills.

Characters:
Jem/Jerrica and the Holograms, The Misfits, Rio, Eric, Danse, Starlight Girls (Ashley, Deirdre, Lela, Anne), Mando radio DJ, KMEL's senior DJ, KMEL's engineer, Elzer Marcus owner and manager of KMEL, College School kids (Switch), Mr. Kyte, Adrian Lassiter, Starlight Music's secretary, McDuffy pilot.

Focus on:
Rio.

Locations & vehicles:
Haven House, KMEL radiostation, KBST radiostation, College school, Starlight Music, Cloud 9 pilots club, Rio's airplane ND7ID, McDuffy's airplane, Glitter 'n Gold Roadster, Misfits Music, limousine, FCC car, police car, White House in Washington D. C., Statue of Liberty in New York.

First appearance of:
Radio station KJEM, Rio's airplane.

Songs:
"When It's Only Me And The Music" Jem and the Holograms
"Listen Up" The Misfits
"KJEM" Jem and the Holograms

Part of songs:
"It's Fun To Be Scared" by Jem and the Holograms, "Believe In Yourself" by Jem and the Holograms, "KJEM" By Jem and the Holograms, "Let's Blow This Town" by the Misfits, "Jack Take A Hike" by the Misfits, "Makin' Mischief" by the Misfits.

Instrumentals:
"Imagine Me" by Jem and the Holograms, "KJEM" by Jem and the Holograms, "Bad Influence" by Jem and the Holograms/the Misfits.

Genres:
Action, Message, Drama, Humor.

Original airdate:
29 October 1987.

Releases:
Released on DVD.

International:
Italy: Aired on TV. The episode title was "KJEM" (KJEM).
France: Aired on TV. Released on DVD. The episode title was "K-Jem" (K-Jem).
Venezuela: Aired on TV. The episode title was "Radio Jem" (Radio Jem).
UK: Aired on TV.
New Zealand: Released on VHS.

Behind the Scenes:
This episode started out as a two-parter. Christy had tons of different ideas. One idea Christy had for a subplot, involved one of the engineers being an alcoholic and trying to deal with his alcoholism. But that idea got dropped pretty fast. Another subplot was with the character Switch, who was going to end up in the hospital, desperately needing an organ transplant.

Christy didn't get her way of making the character Jetta black, so she was quite proud to be able to sneak in a black villain in this episode instead, Mr. Lassiter. She didn't want to be forced to be too politically correct.

When Christy was writing this episode, she went out to a small college FM radiostation in Clearmont, California called KSPC and they gave Christy several hours of their time so she could wander around the station and look at how they did things. Christy shot tons of film of all their equipment and also of the college students that helped her. She gave the pictures to the storyboard artists so that they could see the equipment, and actually turn the college students into cartoon characters.

When Christy was writing this episode her husband at the time, the late Peter Ledger, loved planes and had just gotten his license to fly a plane. Peter came up with the idea of using the airplanes they used in this episode.

Elzer Marcus was based on Christy father Elzer Marx who managed a local radio station and was an announcer in their hometown when Christy was growing up, called WITY. So Christy grew up with alot of radio background, which came to good use for writing this episode. The character doesn't look exactly like Christy's father, but back when this episode first aired, one of the locals who saw the cartoon actually recognized the cartoon character as her father.

There was a scene cut from this episode, before Pizzazz comes in screaming at Eric in his office in Misfits Music, the Misfits has been flooded with promotion materials for the KJEM station on the street, people were coming up giving them pins and stickers, and as a final insult someone slaps a KJEM bumper sticker on the Misfits van.

Other scenes that were cut involved some local rockgroups that were playing at the opening of KJEM.

Christy had more in mind for the character Mr. Lassiter for future episodes, which she never got the chance to do before the show ended.

Trivia:
This episode was made because Hasbro came up with the playset KJEM Rock On Guitar.

According to Ashley, everyone listens to the radio channel KLEK, but Deirdre likes KBST.

Jetta claims she is close personal friends with the royal family of England, Charles, Diana, Fergie and Andrew.

One of the girls at the college resembles very much one of the characters working on Jem's movie in the Starbright three parter episodes, except this one is a brunette instead of blonde. But she does have the same hairstyle, hairband, earrings and clothes, also in other colors.

There is a magazine called Music Beat where Jem is featured.

Rio is in the Pilots Club, and gets a flying license for airplanes. Rio just made his last payment for his airplane. Rio's plane says "ND7ID".

One of the college kids, Switch, is a friend of Kimber who went to highschool with her.

Elzer Marcus signing off: "Radio is a medium of imagination, creates pictures in the mind, it brings us news and new ideas, it entertains us with comedy, drama and music. Rock, country and western, classical, jazz and everything inbetween. But most of all radio is the vital part of our most precious right, freedom of speech. So support your community and public stations, let radio do more than just entertain you, let it educate you!".

We get to see there's something of a park on top of Starlight Music, with grass and trees.

Rio becomes a temporary engineer at the radiostation KJEM.

According to the song "KJEM", the KJEM radio station broadcasts hits songs, sport, weather and news night and day.

KJEM was released as a playset in the Jem doll line.

The song "When It's Only Me And The Music" by Jem and the Holograms is re-used. Previously appeared in the episode "The Music Awards Part 1". Also this time Danse is in the video.

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