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Today (October 23rd), our LaSalle broadcast signal will be undergoing tower work and will be off the air. Thanks for your patience as we complete this work, and while our 91.3 FM signal is off the air. You can always listen here on our website or on our WNIJ mobile app.

The Low-Rent Appeal of 'Stairway to Stardom'

By Jennifer Sharpe

Published May 23, 2006 at 12:00 PM CDT

Back in the 1980s, a public-access television channel in New York City aired Stairway to Stardom, an amateur talent show many see as a low-rent precursor to American Idol.

Thanks to the dedication of a few die-hard fans, Stairway has now become an Internet cult hit. One of the program's devotees, Mitch Friedman, shares his thoughts about why this ultra-low budget talent show has such long-lasting appeal.