This week, formerly embattled radio host Bubba The Love Sponge made a return to terrestrial, nearly four years since his banishment from the airwaves by former employer, Clear Channel Radio. Bubba is primed to make his return to the Tampa and Jacksonville morning airwaves under a new deal with Cox Radio.
His new morning show will be broadcast on WHPT/Tampa and on WFYV/Jacksonville and produced and broadcast live Monday through Friday from Bubba’s custom studio located in Tampa. He will pull double duty every day, having signed a one-year deal with Sirius that will see him continue his show weekdays, 3p-7p.
We recently caught up with Bubba and got his thoughts on the two newly signed deals, his new opportunity in terrestrial radio, Howard Stern, the pending merger and what the future may hold for him.
Tell me about your thoughts on the new Sirius deal and what went into that decision.
Actually, my loyalty has to lie with Sirius at this juncture. I’m very excited about the Cox deal. It’s been a great, great thing for me to be able to come back and become a commodity within terrestrial radio. Howard Stern in particular and Tim Sabean really stuck their necks out for me a couple of years ago when I was dead in the water. If it wasn’t for either one of them, and particularly Howard, I wouldn’t be in this position to be able to have some negotiating power, and go back to regular radio.
It was just something that was a no-brainer. I have a loyalty to Howard. I may not even be working with Howard maybe one of these days, but I’ll always be grateful and I’ll always be phenomenally loyal to that guy. Howard Stern saved my ass when I was down on my luck.
You sounded great on his show recently, as well. I’ve never heard Robin grilled quite like that before about her private life.
Scott Greenstein, our boss, took me aside and said, “Man, when you and Howard get on somebody, the one–two combination, that’s second to none.” Scott alluded to wanting to bring me in on some tough guests and having me and Howard just grilling them. Howard’s a different interviewer than I am. Howard’s more seasoned and a little bit more intellectual. I tend to be a little bit more barbaric and socially unacceptable, but together, actually, in my opinion, Sirius is missing the boat on having a Howard/Bubba grill session.
Tell us more about the Cox radio deal. It’s been four years since you’ve been on terrestrial radio.
One of the reasons why I’m coming back is because nobody thinks I can do it, and it’s just a huge, huge challenge. I’m one of the dirtiest and most fined radio personalities ever, next to Howard, so it would be unheard of for anybody to take the chance on me to come back. I’ve got a huge target on my back. When I pull this off and I’m able to do it, and not get fined, not get fired, then I’ll become a commodity on terrestrial radio. The syndication possibilities could be endless. Terrestrial radio is just lookin’ for anybody that’s not corny and stupid like Bob & Tom or John Boy & Billy, the hopeless shit that people are putting on nowadays. Opie & Anthony aren’t lighting the world on fire,Mancow isn’t either. Nobody’s really doing anything. After Howard left regular radio, there’s not been anybody to step up and garner 40 or 50 affiliates in huge markets with success. Nobody’s doing it, so what better person to try than me. In one year I’m available to be able to roll this out nationwide. I would love Dan Mason to call me up!
How would the show be different from your afternoon Sirius show, aside from the obvious restrictions on language and content?
We’ll be local. We’ll be in Tampa and Jacksonville just to start. But we’re going to still be cynical and smart-ass and put a Bubba spin on everyday problems and politicians. As long as we continue to have buffoons in the White House it makes for some great rhetoric. The only thing that’s not going to be there is the flat-out, blatant sex and some of the stunts that we do that involve sex. There are a lot of things we can do. We’re just going to have to plan out a little bit better, and not quite be so spontaneous on the shock things. Just cover our asses a little bit better.
Going from a free, uncensored environment such as satellite radio, back to terrestrial, how is that adjustment going to affect you as a broadcaster?
It’s going to be a transition. We have to be in the right mindset when we do mornings. We’re going to have to know who we’re broadcasting to and what forum we’re on, and that’s terrestrial. When we do our satellite show we act like a bunch of heathenistic guys in the locker room, and you’re not worried about anybody listening to you or any bad words. Obviously we’re going to have to be professional broadcasters and watch what we say. We’re going to have to be in the right mindset. I’ve been doing this for about twenty-three years. I was on regular radio today and I didn’t slip up. You’ve just got to condition yourself to which particular forum you’re on, and then just execute it. It’s going to be more physical than it is going to be mental. I think physically it’s going to be a mother-fucker.
You have two jobs now, that’s a lot of work.
It is a lot of work. But, hey, we’re not digging ditches. There are a lot of worse things we could be doing. My wife and my guy’s wives are going to have to understand that for a year we’re going to have to roll our sleeves up. If we want to become a huge commodity, this is the window of opportunity that’s been given to us and we’ve got to do it. It’s just something we’ve got to do if we want to make the big money and get the huge accolades we so deserve, then this is something we have to do. It’s like going to the dentist, you don’t want to go but you’ve got to get your shit clean and get your cavity fixed.
How liberating was it when you first started on Sirius?
It’s great, man. And what else is great too is the stage that I’m on: I’m on Howard’s stage. You just couldn’t ask for a better situation. Growing up I looked up to Howard. Anybody in regular radio that says they don’t respect what the guy has done and the kind of money he’s made and the success he’s had and the amount of cume he had, they’re lying. I’m one of those guys that maybe was very jealous of Howard, but once I became part of the Howard camp, man, you get a whole new appreciation of the power he has. He’s one of the guys (not a lot of them up there did), but he’s one of the guys that picked up the phone at Sirius, and say: “You know you guys kick ass. I really appreciate you guys. I’m glad you’re on my channel.”
So it is very liberating to have the freedom that we have. But I’d say it’s been more of a conquest, or more of a good thing, or more of I’m kind of getting over Howard having accepted me and my guys into his little close knit family. That’s been absolutely the most fun and joyous thing about Sirius. Honest to God. I can take or leave some of the people up there, but he is one that will be… him and Tim Sabean and a few others have been people that I’ll have friends for life. Even if I was going against Howard, I would never speak a bad word about that guy. I cannot tell you how much I respect him. It’s different to listen to him as a listener, but then to work for him and see his power and his graciousness. He’s probably the only reason why I came back to Sirius. And the deal wasn’t going that well up until he decided to pick up the phone and take things into his own hands. I don’t want to sound like a little bitch, but I wouldn’t be there if he hadn’t picked up the phone and ripped some ass.
What do you think of the talent pool in terrestrial radio today?
Terrestrial radio, has ruined all the good talent. There’s not a lot left. For me to get back into the arena, and that’s one reason I’m getting back into that arena, is because I’d like to be one of the coveted talents. I used to be somewhat. I got railroaded by the FCC. I got hung out to dry. I wasn’t a huge commodity like Howard. I wasn’t able to garner a whole bunch of money on the satellite tip because I wasn’t as established as Howard. I got made an example of. I didn’t have thirty affiliates, I had seven. My timing has been real fucked up. Finally, for the first time in my career, my timing looks like I might be at the right place at the right time.
How is your relationship with Cox Radio as far as restrictions and policies?
They are tight, and I know that. It’s the atmosphere we live in now. They’re making a huge investment and taking a huge risk on me. I’ve got a huge target on my back. I mean everybody will be taping me, waiting for me to slip up. I don’t want to get Cox in trouble. If I burn this bridge or fuck up here, where else do I have to go?
Two or three years ago it would have been more of a problem though.
If I fuck up and don’t listen to them and don’t jump through the necessary hoops it’s going to take, then I’m done. But, if I have a success story on this forefront, then I have syndication parameters. I’ve got a lot of situations, so I will do anything. They’re very specific as to the pecking order of getting things listened to and bits pre-approved. I have a 10-second delay; they have one as well. We have our marching orders and we’ll execute them. But, more importantly, they’ve been very forthright and up-front as to what those are. There’s no hidden agenda. They’re not going to pull any last minute curve balls on us.
Cox has been wonderful. I know they’re a conservative company, but also a company that wants to win. They went out and got some weapons and an arsenal they know will win.
What are your thoughts on the audience reception to the show since you went to Sirius?
I’ve never seen a more cult-like following. If you’ve got to pay for something maybe you appreciate it more. The following we have on Sirius is a factor as to why I decided to try to get this deal done for one year with Sirius because the fans are just unbelievable. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen. So I almost felt like as if I was deserting. I don’t want to do two shows, but it’s just something I’ve got to do right now. I’ve got to roll my sleeves up and do this for a year. Then I have to see where I’m at. Do I continue this? Do I stick with satellite, because this terrestrial radio deal is not going so well? Or do I say: Hey, satellite I have 35 affiliate potentials, I’m out of here. But for a year, I’ve at least got to throw a whole bunch of shit against the wall and see what sticks.
What are your thoughts on the merger?
I think it’s bullshit that our government takes eleven months for something that is absolutely a no-brainer. It’s not a monopoly. Both companies are struggling financially. The way to deliver content is changing by the second. The antiquated rules, or the bullshit rules and stringent restrictions they put 12-15-years-ago were before we had iPods, Internet radio, MP3s, and all that kind of shit, of which tens of millions of those units have been sold, probably 10, 15, 20 times the amount of satellite radios. It just goes to show you how flawed the system is. Here’s this guy who’s returning back to regular radio, and I’m telling you right now it’s bullshit if the lobbyists of the NAB and regular radio would be able to squash this deal based on special interest, because NAB has more lobby money and more special interest money and it’s better organized against satellite. It’s bullshit. The last time I checked we live in America, this sort of thing should be a no-brainer.
What are your thoughts on radio as a whole today?
I’m an old school kind of guy. I got into radio in 1984. The old type mentality where you had guys who worked records and worked for adds, and Station A didn’t compare lists to Station B, and it was all owned by a conglomerate. I just don’t like the national playlists and the power that one particular company or three or four particular companies can have and hold the artists hostage. It’s the same way with air talent. There’s no more proving grounds for guys like me that can start off in little Terre Haute, Indiana, and work your way up to Grand Rapids and San Antonio. Why would you pay a guy $12,000, $13,000, $14,000 doing overnights, and try to groom him to be the next big thing or to be a respectable jock, when you can just voice track somebody in from Austin, Texas, for $5,500. That’s why we’re at an all-time low for anybody that’s good in this business, because there are no more teachers. There’s no more Triple A leagues. There’s no more little Grand Rapids, Michigans that can develop their talent because all those markets are just voice tracking Kid Kelly or something for a $25,000-a-year morning show. I think the industry is in shambles right now. I don’t think it will work itself out when we have four companies that own everything. Seriously. My first station was owned by the Oak Ridge Boys. Then it was sold to another man from New York and he owned it for a few years. Now I don’t know of hardly any private owners.
Where do you want to go with the show? What are some things you haven’t done yet that you want to do?
I want to continue to do the same thing I’m doin’. Obviously be a little bit cleaner and more politically accepted within the terrestrial deal. But I’d like to be on satellite. If Howard ever retired I’d like to be the guy that was good enough that Howard felt he could pass the torch along to, per Howard’s endorsement, of course. On terrestrial, I guess at the end of the day I’d like to do the same thing. I’d like to become a commodity and have a stable of affiliates so that we could also do well there. I’m just trying to see where I can do the best for me and my guys in which particular forum. It may end up being both. Maybe we’ll always do two. I don’t know, only time will tell.
** QB Content by Mike Bacon **
