Vice City Public Radio (VCPR) is a radio station featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Despite its name, one of the presenters mentions that VCPR broadcasts nationwide.
VCPR is one of two stations not represented in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set, the other being K-Chat.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
In GTA Vice City, VCPR features 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).
Chavez's name and accent suggest that he is of Cuban origin, and he becomes irritated when his name is pronounced incorrectly. His tone of voice and mannerisms imply that he is always angry or irritated about something, he makes sarcastic remarks and treats other guests condescendingly. His short temper becomes evident during his interviews, as he loses his patience when his guests don't "press the issue," and even hits one of his guests, Jeremy Robard, with a paperweight.
Many of his guests on the show seem to be parodies of ideologies/real-life people who had a visible presence in the 1980s, often being put as rather extreme versions of their real counterparts.
In one edition of his program, he is held at gunpoint by the power-crazed Pastor Richards, but he survives through quick thinking, street smarts (he tells Pastor Richards he is in control and is the boss, something that they recommend during real life assaults so as to escape from the situation alive) and flattery.
Chavez is oblivious to the fact he is commonly insulted 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 $2,000 a year. Around the same time, he also tried to become a movie star, and despite appearing at seventeen auditions his only successful role was 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 towards Chavez.
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.
Grand Theft Auto: 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. Like 1986, the chatter and pledge drives are still run by Freeloader and Montanius, after many major missions VNN news will interrupt any radio show to play the news.
Radio Shows Broadcast on VCPR[]
- Pressing Issues - public affairs program hosted by Maurice Chavez; the 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 1944.
- Gordon Moorehead Rides Again - Re-run of a fictional radio program that originally aired in the late 1940s.
- Legal Review - A program mentioned on VCPR in Vice City but not actually heard. The program is sponsored by Delio and Furax.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Alongside Radio Espantoso, this radio station can be heard when stealing a Taxi, Cabbie or a Kaufman Cab (before completing the Kaufman Cabs asset missions). This is referenced by Jeremy Robard in the Positive Thinking segment of Pressing Issues, where he says that the cab drivers love listening to Maurice Chavez.
- Much like Rise FM from Grand Theft Auto III, this radio station and K-Chat were omitted when remastering the PC version of GTA Vice City occurred, so all other stations have high quality, while VCPR and K-Chat are of lower quality. Differences between VCPR, K-Chat and other stations are audible.
See Also[]
- Chatterbox FM, a talk station in GTA III.
- K-Chat, a talk station in GTA Vice City.
- West Coast Talk Radio (WCTR), a talk station in GTA San Andreas and GTA V.
- Liberty City Free Radio (LCFR), a talk station in GTA Liberty City Stories.
- Public Liberty Radio (PLR), a public talk station in GTA IV.
- WKTT Radio, a talk station in GTA IV and GTA Episodes From Liberty City.
- Integrity 2.0, a talk station in GTA IV and GTA Episodes From Liberty City.
- Blaine County Radio, a public talk station in GTA V.