[3] Travis was originally intended to be the lead character, the more-or-less normal person who would anchor the series and provide the focus for most of the stories.

However, in the season three episode "A Mile in My Shoes" Andy tells Smilin' Al, a business owner who advertises on WKRP, that he is originally from Phoenix, Arizona.

After his first year on the job, when WKRP only rises from 16th to 14th in an 18-station market, and while the rest of the staff is elated, Andy, though outwardly happy, is furious, and considers it a personal failure.

After a conversation with his friend, nighttime disc jockey Gordon "Venus Flytrap" Sims, Andy realizes that he cannot leave WKRP or fire anybody.

Andy decides to abandon his ambition of becoming a hugely successful program director, or as Venus puts it, "You gave up a chance to be Boy Wonder of American radio to be the head guard of a nut farm."

In one episode, he meets Norris Breeze (played by thirtysomething co-star David Clennon), a former colleague of his from New Mexico who is now a successful programming consultant.

A story arc from the final season of WKRP has Andy working behind the scenes to get Mama Carlson to put more money into the station, so that he can improve the place and give the employees raises.

Also in the final season, Andy takes Mama Carlson out to dinner and the opera, hoping to get her to invest still more money (this time to buy a new transmitter).

His (apparently) first replacement, Steve DeMarco (an unseen character), is much more controversial, embroiling the station in scandal and committing a major FCC violation that leads to his firing (and Carlson's arrest) the day before the new series begins.

An old flame, now a very successful country and western singer (played by It's a Living star Barrie Youngfellow), shows up and rekindles old feelings.

During the remainder of the show's run, Andy occasionally refers to having girlfriends and dates, and even uses Mr. Carlson's office to impress an attractive coat-check girl during a business party, but otherwise he is not actually seen actively pursuing a love interest.

In the episode "Filthy Pictures", Bailey uses Andy's obvious discomfort at being asked to pose in a bathing suit (for a charity photoshoot) to gently mock male chauvinist attitudes, greeting him with "Hey, baby" and calling him "beefcake".

Hugh Wilson, the creator and showrunner of WKRP, originally wanted to offer the part of Andy to David Letterman.