Vice City Public Radio
Vice City Public Radio, abbreviated as VCPR, is a radio station in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Note that despite its name, VCPR is apparently broadcast nation wide.
GTA Vice City
In GTA Vice City, VCPR hosted one show, Pressing Issues, a topical discussion program hosted by Maurice Chavez (voiced by Philip Anthony Rodriguez), with supervisors Jonathan Freeloader (Patrick Olsen) and Michelle Montanius (Kelly Guest). Along with K-Chat, the other talk radio station in the game, VCPR was not released as part of the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack.
Chavez's name and voice suggest that he is of Cuban origin, and he becomes irritated when his name is pronounced incorrectly. In one edition of his program, he is held at gun-point by the power-crazed Pastor Richards, but he survives through quick thinking and flattery. Although normally calm, he loses his patience when his guests don't "press the issue," and even hits one of his guests, Jeremy Robards, with a paperweight.
Chavez is oblivious to the fact he is commonly downgraded by Jonathan Freeloader and Michelle Montanius, the announcers at VCPR who call him a "useless, talentless asshole". Over the course of several editions of the show, it is learned that Chavez made a living as "Sal, the Wheat-Free Clown" circa 1980, an occupation that earned him less than $2000 a year. Around the same time, he also tried to become a movie star, and despite going up for 17 auditions that year, he only got a job as a fluffer in a sex education video. He became so desperate that he even considered a sex change at one point. However, according to GTA Vice City Stories, he was rescued by Montanius and in return he got her pregnant. It is implied that she became part of the main VCPR crew not long after, and her pregnancy would account for her abrasive behavior to Chavez.
Freeloader is probably a reference to the website Freeloader.com, which at one point offered "light" versions of the original Grand Theft Auto 1 as well as Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (without in-game music), but later moved them to a paid subscription service. It currently offers Grand Theft Auto 2 as part of its free subscription service, though full versions of both GTA 1 and GTA 2 are now offered as free downloads from 'Rockstar Classics'.
Also, there are the frequent donation drives by Montanius and Freeloader, who between shows beg for support money (as VCPR is a public show, it relies on donations) and try to make the listener feel as guilty as possible about listening to, yet not supporting Public Radio. Obviously, this is a parody of actual public radio stations in the United States like NPR.
GTA Vice City Stories
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, VCPR features a variety of radio programs that satirize American culture, such as Bait and Switch, in which features Vietnam War veteran rednecks, and New World Order, which satirizes bellicose racists, The Time Ranger, which shows typical American hypocrisy, and Gordon Moorehead Rides Again, satirizes American hypocrisy during the cold war. Just like LCFR in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories - VCPR would move on to feature just one show by 1986, Pressing Issues. Like 1986, the chatter and pledge drives are still run by Freeloader and Montanius, after many major missions VNN news will interupt any radio show to play the news.
Radio shows brodcasted on VCPR
- Pressing Issues, public affairs program hosted by Maurice Chavez; Only VCPR program to appear in both Vice City and Vice City Stories.
- Bait and Switch, fishing show taped at the Vice City Boat and Sports Show, hosted by Larry Joe and Bobbie Ray.
- New World Order, foreign affairs program hosted by Dwayne Thorn.
- The Time Ranger, re-run of a fictional radio program that originally aired in 1938.
- Gordon Moorehead Rides Again, re-run of a fictional radio program that originally aired in the late 1940s.
Trivia
- VCPR, V-Rock, and Emotion 98.3 are the favorite radio stations of the Patrol Invest Group and Bikers.