The David Lee Roth Show

Last updated

The David Lee Roth Show was a nationally syndicated American radio show hosted by musician David Lee Roth that aired from January 3 to April 21, 2006. It was the replacement of The Howard Stern Show following its departure from terrestrial to the subscription-based Sirius Satellite Radio. It was simulcast on seven stations owned by CBS Radio, who launched the show as part of its Free FM radio format. Notably different from Howard Stern's program, or corporate "morning zoo" and "shock jock" formats which dominated morning radio at the time, Roth's show sounded similar to pirate radio, featuring ethnic and non-commercial rock music integrated with personal stories, occasionally uncomfortable debates on intellectual matters, and interviews with people Roth admired, such as guitarist Brian May, baseball player Johnny Damon, and Roth's uncle, Manny Roth.

Contents

Following its January 2006 debut, a plurality of critics savaged the show, chiding its "amateurishness," while a minority praised Roth's willingness to bring something so obviously "non-corporate" (and ultimately "anti-corporate") to American mainstream radio. Arbitron numbers showed that Roth's radio program initially lost a sizable portion of the Howard Stern audience; however, by the end of his tenure, his show began to find advocates in people disenchanted by Clear Channel-formatted radio. [1] Roth's firing from CBS Radio ended in a lawsuit, which was eventually settled.

History

Background

In October 2004, Stern announced his departure from terrestrial radio for the subscription-based satellite radio service Sirius Satellite Radio, starting in 2006. Stern had been at WXRK-FM in New York City, the country's number one radio market, since 1985, and moved to morning drive in February 1986. In the same year Stern's show entered national syndication, and aired to peak of 60 stations in the US and Canada. The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy spawned a government crackdown on indecency in television and radio by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), prompting Stern to leave for Sirius, a platform exempt from its regulations.

Shortly after Stern's announcement, his employer and WXRK-FM owner, Infinity Broadcasting, began the search for a replacement. In March 2005, Roth auditioned by hosting the morning show on WZLX-FM, a classic rock station in Boston, for one week. This was followed by a stint on KLSX-FM in Los Angeles. Roth had been an American pop culture icon since the late 1970s, first as the original frontman for Van Halen, and later as a solo artist. In July, news reports speculated that Roth had signed a deal with Infinity, with the prospect of launching the show as early as September, as Stern considered the possibility of leaving terrestrial airwaves three months early. [2] Roth signed a deal worth an $4 million, and was announced as Stern's replacement on October 25 during a surprise appearance on the show. Roth was set to replace Stern in the majority of east coast-based stations, with others replaced by The Adam Carolla Show and Rover's Morning Glory . [3] [4]

Stern's final live terrestrial broadcast aired on December 16, 2005, after which WXRK switched call letters and formats to WFNY and Free FM, a new, mostly talk-based format emphasising the free-to-air service in comparison to the increasingly popular Sirius and XM Satellite Radio services. In addition, Infinity was reorganized as CBS Radio.

Launch and run

The David Lee Roth Show launched on January 3, 2006, and was simulcast to six other CBS-owned stations: WBCN-FM in Boston, WNCX-FM in Cleveland, KLLI-FM in Dallas, WYSP-FM in Philadelphia, WRKZ-FM in Pittsburgh and WPBZ-FM in West Palm Beach.

On February 27, 2006, less than two months into his stint, Roth took a one week vacation which prompted speculation about his future. Tom Herschel, general manager of his Cleveland affiliate, assured Roth would return and that the break had been planned for weeks, but questioned why Roth needed to take time off. [5] On the same day, the monthly Arbitrend ratings were published which revealed that in January, Roth's first full month on the air, WFNY's morning share among its target audience of 18-to-34-year-olds fell from 13.8% to 1.3%. Audiences also fell sharply in Los Angeles and Chicago. [6]

On March 7, WFNY station manager Tom Chiusano and programming vice president Mark Chernoff held a meeting with Roth to discuss ways for Roth to improve the show. According to Roth, the pair asked him to stop playing "foreign" and "ethnic" soundbeds and appeal to "a 35-year-old white male who likes Lynyrd Skynyrd". [7] Roth spent most of the following live broadcast criticising Chiusano and Chernoff and their suggestions, claiming they wanted him to "copy Stern" which he refused to do, and stressed that he was hired to deliver something "unique". [7] Roth was informed that the addition of a female newscaster was a possibility. [7]

After CBS pulled the show for two days, Roth returned to the air on March 31. The program had noticeable changes, with the 40 rotating music beds and the various sidekicks dropped, leaving just Roth and his board operator Hutch in the studio. Roth said the show was dropped for not following directives and avoiding news and traffic, and for "black fun humour" with his security guard Animal. He said CBS issued him a series of letters forcing the changes, or else face disciplinary action. [8] Rother later said management issued him four letters in five days, and predicted his show could end before May 2006. [9]

Cancellation

On April 21, around 20 minutes before the show went live, Roth was told that the show was being cancelled after the day's broadcast. [10] On his last show, Roth said: "I was booted, tossed, and it's going to cost somebody", hinting legal action towards CBS for full compensation of his reported $4 million contract. The announcement came shortly before the quarterly Arbitron ratings were published. [11]

On April 24, CBS announced Opie and Anthony as Roth's replacement on all seven affiliates, starting April 26. The New York-based show had been exclusive to XM Satellite Radio since 2004, but the deal granted CBS to pay XM a license fee to carry the program and for XM's advertisements to air on FM. From 6:00–9:00 a.m., the show was compliant with FCC regulations but remained uncensored for XM listeners, after which it was XM exclusive. [12] This marked the show's return to terrestrial radio since August 2002, when Infinity suspended it indefinitely for a segment which allegedly involved a couple having sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral. In 2009, following the introduction of the people meter ratings system and a declining FM radio audience, CBS dropped Opie and Anthony and switched WFNY to a contemporary hits and Top 40 format.

Criticism

Critics and fans alike generally concluded that Roth was unprepared for a radio show, and close to the demise of the show, Roth himself suggested on the air that he agreed with this assessment. He also stated on-air at least once, in response to a caller's complaint, that he thought the show "sucked", although this was in reference to the new format forced upon him by Free-FM management.

Roth said that during the first four weeks on the air, "I was like a fish flopping around at the end of a stick." [7]

Howard Stern stated that the original incarnation of Van Halen is his favorite rock and roll band of all-time, and also that he "like[s] David Lee Roth" on a personal level. Regarding The David Lee Roth Show, Stern stated in a 2010 interview with former CBS executive Rob Barnett that he knew that the show would fail when Roth did not seem to grasp the idea that talking to a radio audience is different from talking to the crowd at a rock concert. "He looked at me with a blank stare," said Stern, "like he wasn't concerned." [13]

In the April 28 edition of the Boston Herald , [14] reporters Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa wrote that some observers speculated that Roth was never intended to successfully replace Howard Stern. Supposedly, CBS Radio wanted to hire Opie and Anthony but did not because Stern openly disliked Opie and Anthony, was a fan of Roth. Reportedly, management at CBS Radio (then called Infinity Broadcasting) believed that whoever replaced Stern was doomed. An insider at CBS Radio was quoted as saying to the Boston Herald reporters that "(he) looked good to Wall Street, and they gave him a real shot. They would have loved for him to succeed, but he wasn't a radio guy."

"Roth's show is ... skin-crawlingly awful. ... In these days of bland Clear Channel/Infinity corporate radio, it's bracing to hear a guy who has no idea what he's doing. ... Listening to Roth, you feel actual physical pain." – Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone

"He's a mess, and he's a loudmouth punk." – syndicated radio host Don Imus, whose show aired opposite Roth's on sister station WFAN.

"Why anyone ever thought that would work as a radio show is beyond me, it was absolutely unlistenable." -syndicated radio host Tom Leykis.

Show cast

Guests

Related Research Articles

CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadcasting since the 1970s. The broadcasting company was sold to Entercom on November 17, 2017.

<i>The Howard Stern Show</i> American radio show

The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 and Howard 101, Stern's two uncensored channels on the subscription-based satellite radio service SiriusXM, since 2006. Other prominent staff members include co-host and news anchor Robin Quivers, writer Fred Norris and executive producer Gary Dell'Abate, along with former members Jackie Martling, Billy West, John Melendez, and Artie Lange.

<i>Ron and Fez</i> Radio show

The Ron and Fez Show was an American talk radio show hosted by Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley, which aired from August 1998 to April 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WINS-FM</span> All-news radio station in New York City

WINS-FM is a radio station licensed to New York, New York, and owned by Audacy, Inc. WINS-FM simulcasts all-news radio station WINS (AM) ,, with the station referred to on air as "1010 WINS at 92.3 FM". The station's studios are located in the Hudson Square neighborhood in Manhattan and its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building. WINS-FM also broadcasts in HD Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIP-FM</span> Sports radio station in Philadelphia

WIP-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a sports radio format. The WIP-FM offices and studios are co-located in Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City, Philadelphia, and the broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faction Talk</span> Radio station

Faction Talk is a subscription-based channel on the satellite radio service Sirius XM Radio. The channel first aired on XM on August 6, 2004, as xL High Voltage in preparation for the launch of the American radio show Opie and Anthony several months later, and required subscribers to purchase the channel as a premium, until 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fez Whatley</span> American talk radio host (1964–2021)

Todd Hillier, better known by his on-air name Fez Marie Whatley, was an American comedian and radio producer and personality who gained prominence as the co-host of The Ron and Fez Show with Ron Bennington from 1998 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDKA-FM</span> Radio station in Pennsylvania, United States

KDKA-FM is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. through licensee Audacy License, LLC and broadcasts a sports radio format. Studios are located at Foster Plaza near Green Tree while the broadcast tower used by the station is located near Mount Washington, next to its former studios in Pittsburgh's South Shore neighborhood at.

<i>Opie and Anthony</i> American radio show

Opie and Anthony was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia that aired from March 1995 to July 2014, with comedian Jim Norton serving as third mic from 2001. The show originated in 1994 when Cumia took part in a song parody contest on Hughes' nighttime show on WBAB on Long Island, New York. After subsequent appearances, Cumia decided to pursue a radio career and teamed with Hughes to host their own show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KALV-FM</span> Contemporary hit radio station in Phoenix

KALV-FM is a commercial radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it airs a top 40 (CHR) format. KALV-FM's studios are located in downtown Phoenix, and its transmitter is in South Mountain Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free FM</span> Short-lived talk radio brand

Free FM was a short-lived, mostly-talk-radio format and brand name for eleven FM CBS Radio stations in the United States, and was created because of Howard Stern's departure to Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006. Free FM was given its name to highlight that its stations broadcast free-to-air, instead of requiring a subscription fee like satellite radio services. Launched on October 25, 2005, Free FM was phased out over the course of 2007, with the final station using it, KLSX, dropping the brand in November 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard 100 and Howard 101</span> Satellite radio channels

Howard 100 and Howard 101 are two uncensored channels on SiriusXM, a satellite radio service that broadcasts programming affiliated with Howard Stern and The Howard Stern Show. Though the channels were first broadcast on September 29, 2005 with the former company Sirius Satellite Radio, Stern could not officially broadcast until January 1, 2006, as Stern was still at WXRK, the terrestrial radio station where he had to finish his FM radio contract. A merger of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio occurred in the summer of 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Cumia</span> American talk radio personality and podcast host (born 1961)

Anthony Cumia is an American shock jock, podcaster and broadcaster. He is the host of The Anthony Cumia Show on the online video platform Compound Media, which he founded. Along with Gregg "Opie" Hughes, he was the co-host of the Opie and Anthony radio show, which aired from 1995 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregg Hughes</span> American radio personality and podcast host

Gregg Hughes better known by his air name Opie, is an American radio personality and podcast host best known as the former co-host of the Opie and Anthony radio show that aired from 1995 to 2014 with Anthony Cumia and comedian Jim Norton. From 2014 to 2016, Hughes and Norton stayed at SiriusXM as co-hosts of Opie with Jim Norton. In October 2016, Hughes became the host of his own show, The Opie Radio Show, which lasted until his firing, for filming an employee as he used the toilet, on July 7, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKRK-FM</span> Sports radio station in Cleveland Heights, Ohio

WKRK-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland Heights, Ohio, known as "Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan" and carrying a sports format. Owned by Audacy, Inc., WKRK-FM serves Greater Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio as a co-flagship for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network and an affiliate of Infinity Sports Network.

Dead Air Dave was one of several on-air names used by the radio personality who currently calls himself Dylan. He has also broadcast as Nigel, A.B., A.B. Love and Ashok. He got his start in the radio business as an intern at WXRK New York in 1994.

The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.

The History of Howard Stern is a radio documentary series about the life and career of American radio personality Howard Stern, covering the years from his childhood through 2001. It originally aired across 35 episodes in four "acts" on Howard 100 on SiriusXM Radio between December 17, 2007 and December 31, 2010. Each episode includes segments from The Howard Stern Show, interviews with the show's staff, celebrity guests, and his family, and excerpts of news reports. The series is narrated by Jim Forbes.

The Radio Chick is the on-air name for Leslie Gold, an American radio personality whose talk show features comedian Chuck Nice and her producer, Paul "Butch" Brennan. Leslie is a recurring guest host on the Fox News Radio Network heard nationally. She is the Executive Producer of "The Gong Show Live - Off Broadway", a theatrical recreation of the classic TV show. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and The Harvard Business School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Stern television shows</span>

Howard Stern is an American radio personality who is best known for his radio show The Howard Stern Show. Stern describes himself as the "King of All Media" for his successes in the radio, television, film, music and publishing industries.

References

  1. ↑ Blabbermouth (April 21, 2006). "DAVID LEE ROTH: 'I Was Booted, Tossed, And It's Going To Cost Somebody'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET.
  2. ↑ "The David Lee Roth Show (2005)". The Boston Globe. July 16, 2005. p. 45.
  3. ↑ "The David Lee Roth Show (2006)". The Los Angeles Times. April 22, 2006. p. 39.
  4. ↑ "The David Lee Roth Show (2005)". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 26, 2005. p. 23.
  5. ↑ Washington, Julie E. (February 25, 2006). "WNCX plugs in local show for vacationing David Lee Roth". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  6. ↑ Hinkley, David (February 28, 2006). "What hath David Lee Roth on FM?". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Hinkley, David (March 9, 2006). "Roth airs wrath after bosses' Stern lecture". The New York Daily News. p. 91. Retrieved October 13, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Mexican Standoff: "Dave" Roth Charges CBS Radio With Sabotage". FMQB. March 31, 2006. Archived from the original on April 7, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Roth continues to struggle as radio show host". Today. April 12, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  10. ↑ "The David Lee Roth Show (2006)". Newsday. April 22, 2006. p. 8.
  11. ↑ McShane, Larry (April 12, 2006). "David Lee Roth Bounced from Airwaves". CBS News. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ Farhi, Paul (June 26, 2006). "Opie & Anthony Get the Last Laugh". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  13. ↑ articles.nydailynews.com
  14. ↑ "The Boston Herald – Conspiracy in the air: Roth was a fall guy". Archived from the original on September 29, 2006.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.