[1] Bailey originally came from Chicago[1] with a degree in journalism[2] from The Ohio State University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

[3] Her ambition is eventually to be a broadcasting executive, but though intelligent and talented, she was held back early on by her extreme shyness and fear of speaking up.

She is originally in charge of just the billing and station traffic, but that changes when Andy Travis takes over as the program director of WKRP.

In the episode "Circumstantial Evidence", while testifying in court, she starts complaining to the judge about the plight of baby seals and dolphins.

Bailey's character was overshadowed by that of Jennifer Marlowe (played by Loni Anderson), the blonde bombshell of the station.

In the early episodes, it is suggested that Bailey looks up to Johnny as her mentor in the world of broadcasting, but that she also has a schoolgirl crush on him, which leads her to ask him out on a date in the second-season opener, "For Love or Money".

(It is implied at the end of "For Love or Money" and "Mike Fright" that they have had at least casual sexual relations, though in both cases, it could be discounted as hyperbole.)

In the episode "The Americanization of Ivan", Bailey is the focus of a Soviet defector's attentions; although he wishes her help in defecting to the U.S., the Russian is also smitten with her good looks.

[8] Bailey Quarters is cited as an example of how 1970s' sitcoms reflected changing views of gender and women's roles in society and the workplace.

This progression confirmed that hard work and talent would be rewarded, reinforced values of equality and diversity, and provided female viewers with reassurance of seeing a friendly, supportive workplace, and a character that struggled to be assertive and to overcome shyness, succeeding in gaining the respect of her coworkers.

[12] Jennifer and Bailey offer, in a blonde-brunette dyad typical of sitcoms of the era, contrasting portrayals of female sexuality from opposite ends of the spectrum.

[13] Bailey demonstrated that a woman could be smart and nerdy, but also exceptionally beautiful (Jan Smithers was a teen and fashion model in real life, including an iconic appearance on the cover of Newsweek in March 1966 representing the mid-60s, pre-hippie youth of America).