LA. TIMES....TRAFFIC JAM

FEBRUARY 25, 1999
Written by Michelle Maltais

o you tune out when talk radio turns to the ins and outs of tuneups? These days, car talk over the airwaves isn't only about what's under the hood.
     Touted as being "for and about people like you," "Traffic Jam" on KRLA-AM (1110) heads down a road less traveled: The show is all about the driver. No chatter about the joys of anti-sway bars or how to tweak transmissions here.
     Don't get me wrong--gear heads can get something from it too. Those of us who drive in Southern California--whether weekend warrior, occasional day-tripper or daily asphalt-abusing commuter--can all relate to the topics covered on "Traffic Jam."
     "Our greatest common denominator we have in this country is our love of cars," said Kenny Morse, one of the show's two hosts.
     In a space no bigger than the front seat of a minivan, longtime "comedy" traffic school teachers Morse, who goes by "Mr. Traffic," and Reed Berry, "The Traffic Guy," tackle such issues as fighting tickets and managing road rage.
     The call-in talk show, which airs Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m., deftly marries humor with serious issues. Commercial breaks are "offramps," and bumper music leading back to the show from breaks consists of popular motoring theme songs such as the Cars' "Drive" and the Beatles' "Drive My Car."
     In addition to guests ranging from law enforcement and elected officials to television reporters and psychologists, every show has a celebrity visitor. Jay Leno was the inaugural guest Dec. 5. Both Morse and Berry called Leno a perfect choice because he maintains an extensive collection of classic vehicles and drives a different car or motorcycle to NBC's Burbank studio every day to tape "The Tonight Show."
     Others who have sat in the celebrity driver's seat include Bob Barker, longtime host of "The Price Is Right," who has given away more than 6,500 cars; Erik Estrada, who played a California Highway Patrol officer on the 1978-83 NBC series "CHiPs"; Marilu Henner of ABC's "Taxi," still seen in syndication 15 years after its prime-time run ended; and Kelly Lange, the newscaster-turned-novelist who started out in L.A. as a helicopter-based traffic reporter.
     'Traffic Jam" also offers something in the stretch-your-mind category. Every show includes trivia questions, though most are too obscure for those of us whose technical car knowledge doesn't extend past key-in-ignition, foot-on-gas. In other words, if you can define a "gore point" (no, nothing to do with the vice president; it's a triangular zone on a freeway where an offramp veers and is separated from the main road by barriers) or know what the "Alfa" in Alfa Romeo stands for (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili), you might just win the prize: a 1999 Thomas Bros. map guide for Los Angeles County.

* * *      Since the show's launch, its time slot has shifted around--a minor speed bump, Morse and Berry say, as they try to establish a regular audience--and its air time has been cut from three hours to two.
     "We weren't happy about losing the hour, but we're rolling with it," Morse said.
     In addition to focusing on building the show and raising its local profile, the traffic guys are looking toward national syndication. The show should travel well, Berry said, because the topic has broad appeal, although there will be minor regional differences in traffic laws.
     For now, though, Morse and Berry let issues pertinent to Los Angeles and Orange counties steer the show.
     Beyond "Traffic Jam," the two continue to teach for the Improv Traffic School in Los Angeles, which is affiliated with the Melrose Avenue comedy club. (They usually announce on the show where they will be teaching next.) Also, Morse, who appeared with Henner on Broadway in "Grease," will be in a musical, "Second Wind," later this year.
     Beneath the humor on "Traffic Jam" lies the message that driving is a serious responsibility.
     "We believe in what we're saying," Morse said. "People should drive as if their life depended on it." * * *      "Traffic Jam," 2-4 p.m. Saturdays, KRLA-AM (1110). Morse's Web site, at http://www.mrtraffic.com/, offers a listing of upcoming "Traffic Jam" guests.
     * Kenny Morse and Reed Berry will host a three-hour "Traffic Jam" on March 27 from the Museum of Radio and Television in Beverly Hills. The town meeting, with law enforcement officials and lawmakers, will cover aggressive driving and high-speed pursuits. * * *