There’s some truth to the saying that you aren’t really working in radio until you’ve been fired. However, getting let go one time doesn’t necessarily qualify you to discuss the state of the industry. Earning the right to weigh in and criticize the radio business should require more than that. While everyone is entitled to an opinion, the ones worth hearing come from people who have experienced highs and lows, success and struggle.
With the annual State of the Union address approaching, it seemed like a good time to find someone with the experience to truly weigh in on the industry. Enter Todd Clem, better known as Bubba the Love Sponge.
Dating back to Terre Haute in 1986, Clem’s career includes a little bit of everything. He’s had major ratings success at stations like 93.3 WFLZ and 98 Rock in Tampa Bay, along with a long run hosting afternoons on Howard 101 at Sirius Satellite Radio. He’s also been fired, taken to court and acquitted of charges related to his show. Also he’s been sued several times, and served as the catalyst for F.C.C. fines.
Clem’s past adventures have been written about exhaustively and don’t need to be rehashed here. When you look at the totality of his career, it’s clear he has the breadth of experience to speak to the state of the industry and where it’s headed.
Unfortunately, he’s not overly optimistic.
“I’ve done this a long time and have hundreds of thousands of hours behind the microphone. From my vantage point, radio’s not dying. But it’s not helping itself right now either,” says Clem. “iHeart, Audacy and Cumulus trying to justify the percentage of growth in their podcasting wing while terrestrial radio continues to lose money, it’s a slippery slope.”
In his opinion, the biggest problem is a lack of great hosts. “They’ve run off all the good talent,” said Clem.
He also believes the industry will struggle to develop new stars for several reasons, starting with a lack of strong mentors. Clem recalled his background working in step with Randy Michaels, Mark Chase, B.J. Harris, Brad Harden, and Mark Driscoll.
In addition, the road to becoming a radio star is more difficult today than ever before.
“If a kid is interested in radio, we’re going to say we’ll pay you fifteen dollars an hour for four hours a day to be a board op,” Clem says. “Plus, we’re going to expect you to build a social media following on your own.”
The future of the industry becomes even more challenging because of high-tech options. Large companies like iHeartRadio, Cumulus and Audacy now have been equipped with these tools at their disposal which didn’t exist earlier in Clem’s career.
“Now they can use AI instead of live hosts. It’s where they’re going, or they can voice track it,” said Clem. “You get a guy that sits behind a production board. He does afternoon drive on forty-six iHeart stations cranking out speed breaks. That’s not personality radio.”
That’s not to say Bubba hasn’t embraced new technology. His show currently airs on five terrestrial radio stations and is available on more than ten additional digital platforms. Many of which focus heavily on video, including YouTube, Twitch and Rumble.
“Radio guys got in radio because we are ugly and fat. That way we could lie to women about how good looking we are. They’d come down to the radio station,” joked Clem. “Now you can’t do that because it’s all visual. You have to support your radio show with visual aspects.”
Because of that shift, his video editor may be the most important person on staff. Someone who can not only setup and record, but also edit in real time for distribution on the number of Clem’s social media channels. Video clips across multiple platforms not only generates revenue, but it also attracts new fans.
“If I were to talk to some young person, I would tell them before you become a radio guy or a content creator, learn how to video edit. That’s the skillset that you need. Go learn that trade and the world is yours,” said Clem. “How many times have you gone down on a rabbit hole on YouTube. Finding something new and thought ‘I’m going to start going to this channel more often.”
The fact that many hosts lack a digital footprint like his represents another area of concern for Clem. With the consumer moving to prefer a video presentation over the traditional radio signal, Clem warns that inaction may lead to a quicker end than a future.
“All these terrestrial radio hosts that haven’t carved out a digital space, they’re f****d. They don’t own anything. They don’t own their name, image, or likeness. I’ve owned all my content since I was on the Power Pig (WFLZ) in 1992,” said Clem referencing his website BubbaArmyHQ where fans can access archival content . “You can literally subscribe and go back and listen to my old 98 Rock shows. It’s basically a library of the last 25 years.”
Several platforms that carry his program today allow viewers immediate access through live chat, another innovation Clem has had to adjust to. Sometimes that connection enhances the show, but it can also spiral out of control if not left in check.
“Listeners will immediately start engaging you. But it can get under your skin because they want to get your attention, so they try to be shocking,” explained Clem. “I call it ‘chat cancer’ and tell my co-hosts you can’t let them have that much control over you.”
Although he criticizes how major radio companies use AI, that doesn’t mean he ignores its potential. In fact, Clem crafts out assets for his program and it’s staff to ensure the program is not being left behind in the race of radio utilizing AI.
“I’ve got a $2,000 a month AI budget. We run the show through AI, and it suggests the spots that make good shorts and reels for all the social media platforms,” said Clem.
Another change Bubba has witnessed involves how hosts attract and build audiences.
“Today’s outrageous isn’t yesterday’s outrageous,” explains Clem.
The days of shocking content such as listeners eating pubic hair burritos or weekly features like No Panties Thursday have largely disappeared. Once again, technology plays a role. Clem notes that it used to be far more difficult for listeners to complain about a show’s content. Now, with everything available everywhere, including video, complaints travel instantly.
“Now they have a visual record and can literally send it anywhere to as many people as they want with the click of a mouse,” Clem says.
Today, he argues, outrage comes through opinion. Whether it’s conservative talk radio, which he refers to as “mad white guy radio,” or sports talk, which he believes remains one of the last formats that can still be shocking, polarizing opinions capture consumers’ attention.
Another element that gives Clem a unique perspective is his history of outside business investments. Over the course of his career, he launched a company that sold beepers branded with his name and logo. He later started Love Sponge Limousines, five Planet Bubba nightclubs and ten Bubba Ale House restaurants.
The common thread among those ventures, he explains, traces back to advice he received from former Jacor CEO Randy Michaels.
“He said to me that the public’s perception of you as a star is going to be based on how much you make them treat you like a star,” explained Clem.
Having assets other hosts didn’t, such as branded beepers, a limo company and nightclubs, served dual purposes. They were strong business models that generated revenue without requiring him to invest his own capital, and they elevated his larger-than-life image.
“You have to be showbiz,” says Clem. “This is show business and too many radio personalities are not in show business.”
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
