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GRIPES OF ROTH
By JOHN MAINELLI
AFTER disastrous ratings in his first month as Howard Stern's replacement, David Lee Roth has been ordered to overhaul his "Free FM" wakeup show.
The volatile ex-rocker - who debuted in lowly 18th position in Arbitron's unofficial, interim January ratings last week - appears headed for a showdown with CBS management.
"Don't manage me. Don't micromanage me. Don't tell me what to do," Roth told listeners yesterday.
The former Van Halen frontman complained of being told not to play hip-hop music and get rid of his on-air sidekick, Animal.
On the show that follows Roth - JV & Elvis - an unidentified staffer told listeners he encountered a defiant Roth in the hallway after his show.
"Someone said, 'Tom [Chiusano, the station's general manager] would like to see you,' and he just kinda gave this look like there's no way in hell that's going to happen," the staffer recounted.
A CBS Radio spokeswoman said it's normal for execs to finetune personalities: "We are involved with all of our talent in working on their programs."
Meanwhile, Roth was the buzz of the station yesterday.
"I have a feelin' these guys are fightin' because they don't like each other," JV (real name: Jeff Vandergrift) said.
Indeed, Howard Stern told his satellite radio listeners last week that he'd heard Roth and Free FM programmer Mark Chernoff went "chest to chest, almost punching each other out," with Roth upset that his vacation replacements last week were JV & Elvis instead of reruns.
Roth complained yesterday that execs "suggested" he should have a "Robin character or a standup-comedian character" - as in Stern's Robin Quivers and Jackie Martling.
JV, who admitted to past friction with Roth, reported that Roth also said, "I bet they're taking stuff from JV & Elvis."
The pair was a red-hot morning show in San Francisco for several years.
"We're takin' bets on who's gonna win," said JV.
"I think management has a slight lead at this point," said partner Elvis Medina.
By JOHN MAINELLI
AFTER disastrous ratings in his first month as Howard Stern's replacement, David Lee Roth has been ordered to overhaul his "Free FM" wakeup show.
The volatile ex-rocker - who debuted in lowly 18th position in Arbitron's unofficial, interim January ratings last week - appears headed for a showdown with CBS management.
"Don't manage me. Don't micromanage me. Don't tell me what to do," Roth told listeners yesterday.
The former Van Halen frontman complained of being told not to play hip-hop music and get rid of his on-air sidekick, Animal.
On the show that follows Roth - JV & Elvis - an unidentified staffer told listeners he encountered a defiant Roth in the hallway after his show.
"Someone said, 'Tom [Chiusano, the station's general manager] would like to see you,' and he just kinda gave this look like there's no way in hell that's going to happen," the staffer recounted.
A CBS Radio spokeswoman said it's normal for execs to finetune personalities: "We are involved with all of our talent in working on their programs."
Meanwhile, Roth was the buzz of the station yesterday.
"I have a feelin' these guys are fightin' because they don't like each other," JV (real name: Jeff Vandergrift) said.
Indeed, Howard Stern told his satellite radio listeners last week that he'd heard Roth and Free FM programmer Mark Chernoff went "chest to chest, almost punching each other out," with Roth upset that his vacation replacements last week were JV & Elvis instead of reruns.
Roth complained yesterday that execs "suggested" he should have a "Robin character or a standup-comedian character" - as in Stern's Robin Quivers and Jackie Martling.
JV, who admitted to past friction with Roth, reported that Roth also said, "I bet they're taking stuff from JV & Elvis."
The pair was a red-hot morning show in San Francisco for several years.
"We're takin' bets on who's gonna win," said JV.
"I think management has a slight lead at this point," said partner Elvis Medina.
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