The variety of radio stations is just one reason why Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto franchise manages to successfully immerse players into their open-world environments. The airwaves in the fictional cities aren't just populated by music, however. Numerous talk shows also entertain players as they are driving to objectives or just cruising around.
Sometimes celebrities host these often satirical programs, while others are led by comedians or relatively unknown actors. The following list outlines the best talk shows from the whole series. The header details the actor who hosts the show while the body reveals the character's name.
10 GTA III - Chatterbox (Lazlow Jones)
Lazlow Jones is a real person who works as a writer for Rockstar Games. Fans commend him for constantly lampooning himself over the course of the series, starting with Grand Theft Auto III's sole talk show, Chatterbox.
The various guests featured showcase the game's zany world in a generation where graphics and gameplay were not enough to get the job done. This would be far from the last time players hear from Lazlow.
9 GTA V - Chakra Attack (JB Smoove)
JB Smoove is highly charismatic in any role. Just look at his character Leon in Curb Your Enthusiasm. On Chakra Attack he plays Ray De Angelo Harris as he takes people's calls regarding spirituality and relaxation.
Cheryl Fawkes is the producer of the show whose voice gets time on the show as well. It is over the top and bombastic, exactly the opposite one would expect from a show about serenity.
8 GTA Vice City - Pressing Issues With Maurice Chavez (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez)
Philip Anthony-Rodriguez plays Maurice Chavez as he hosts this eighties talk show which attempts to get to the bottom of the world's most important political and social issues.
Unfortunately, most of the episodes are derailed by the guests' bickering. One episode even ends with a televangelist shooting a nudist. The games often reflect the time in which they are made, but this show manages to still feel relevant today.
7 GTA V - Beyond Insemination (Danny McBride)
Blaine County Talk Radio's program, Beyond Insemination, showcases Danny McBride as one of his typical vial characters one cannot help but laugh at. For reference, just watch his Kenny Powers character on Eastbound and Down.
This show sees Duane Earl take calls regarding masculinity and associated manly activities. This includes some highly ill-advised relationship advice and extremely outdated social views.
6 GTA IV - Just Or Unjust (Michael-Leon Wooley)
WKTT in Liberty City features the courtroom reality show, Just or Unjust. Judge Grady is a highly incompetent and misogynistic judge who is not qualified even to judge traffic violations, let alone serious civil disputes.
This is where all the humor comes from, however. The sensationalized version of a courtroom sometimes ends cases by forcing both parties into deadly situations.
5 GTA Vice City - K-Chat (Leyna Weber)
For a taste of how people view celebrities in this super-heightened fictional '80s atmosphere, just tune into K-Chat, hosted by Amy Sheckenhausen.
Her guests showcase all variety of celebrity stereotypes, from the ditzy celebrities living in a bubble to the sitcom actor who wishes to be taken more seriously. She also interviews people interested in more serious topics, but often voices her boredom at talking about something other than celebrity and pop culture.
4 GTA IV - Richard Bastion Show (Jason Sudeikis)
The Saturday Night Live alum plays Richard Bastion, a fairly obvious parody of a specific and controversial conservative radio host. He throws out conspiracy theories left and right while simultaneously professing his unabashed love for his country and dedication towards traditional values.
He takes calls from mostly like-minded listeners. Most of the shows contain cohosts, but it says a lot about Jason Sudeikis's comedic prowess that he carries this program mostly by himself.
3 GTA V - The Fernando Show (Frank Chavez)
Fans will recognize Fernando Martinez from the PlayStation 2 trilogy for his outdated attitudes towards women. On The Fernando Show, the famous character has reformed his ways and is trying to turn a new leaf.
However, he still cannot help himself as some of his rants turn into a rabbit hole of innuendo and double entendres. One guest even leaves in disgust and Fernando wonders why such things keep happening.
2 GTA San Andreas - WCTR News (Sharon Washington And Wil Wheaton)
One of the coolest things about WCTR News is how it changes throughout the course of the game. Many of the stories revolve around Carl Johnson's recent exploits in San Andreas, usually involving a recent mission.
Where radio shows in prior games never change, this helped make the world feel more alive and dynamic. Lianne Forget reports from a studio while Richard Burns goes live on the scene of the news, often engaging in illegal activities unbecoming of a reporter.
1 GTA IV - Integrity 2.0 (Lazlow Jones)
Lazlow Jones is one of the few radio hosts to have a presence in every mainline Grand Theft Auto game since GTA III. In Integrity 2.0, the embarrassing excuse for a human being walks the streets of Liberty City and engages with random pedestrians.
Hilarity often ensues as the host makes a fool of himself and either angers the people he stops or ends up regretting the interaction since they are overly-excited to be on the radio.