Stern Knew Roth Would Not Work On Air

[Full Bug]

DJ Stern knew Roth wouldn't work on air

http://www.rockradio.co.uk/rock-news/dj-stern-knew-roth-wouldnt-work-on-air/ng6qj839/

Celebrated shock-jock Howard Stern says he knew the moment he met David Lee Roth that the Van Halen frontman wouldn't be able to take over his radio slot.

And the executive who hired him says he was "seventy-eighth choice" to take over when Stern moved from terrestrial to satellite radio in 2006.

Former CBS boss Rob Barnett explains as a guest on Stern's show that the only reason he chose Roth was because his ego was big enough to believe he could do it.

Barnett says: "Replacing Howard was a ridiculous impossibility. The only name that advertisers would hear and think, 'maybe we'll but one-twentieth of Howard's dollars on that' was TV presenter Jon Stewart. But Jon was not going to host a radio show."

Comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock were amongst those offered the job before Barnett asked Roth.

The exec explains: "David was seventy-eighth choice – all the money in the world couldn't get those other guys to do five hours of live radio. They're already rich.

"The meltdown came on day one or day two, when he got in the chair – and wouldn't listen to anyone who was there to help him."

Stern adds that when he spoke to Roth ahead of the changeover, he knew it wasn't going to work when the singer couldn't understand that doing a radio show was different from playing a concert. Stern says: "He looked at me with a blank stare, like he wasn't concerned."

Stern's stint on satelllite station Sirius XM is coming to an end, with rumours flying that he's considering a return to FM – although Stern denies them.

Meanwhile, Extreme frontman Gary Cherone, was was the last Van Halen singer to record an album with the band, says he can't believe it's a decade since he left the band, paving the way for the return of Sammy Hagar then Roth.

Cherone says: "It's surreal that it's been ten years. The only one I keep in touch with is Michael Anthony. I kept in touch with Eddie but we just moved on. I'm sure he can call me and I can call him, but we just haven't."

Anthony is currently working with Hagar on supergroup Chickenfoot's second album, while Extreme are planning to perform acclaimed album Pornograffiti in full to mark its 20th anniversary – depending on guitarist Nuno Bettencourt's schedule as touring guitarist for pop star Rihanna.

[Seshmeister]

The exec explains: "David was seventy-eighth choice – all the money in the world couldn't get those other guys to do five hours of live radio. They're already rich.

"The meltdown came on day one or day two, when he got in the chair – and wouldn't listen to anyone who was there to help him."


It was actually 4 hours. I don't understand how anyone in the world could fill that 5 days a week though without guests. Roth fucked up to a degree but the one thing he didn't have were people there to 'help' him.

He was set up to fail which is a strategy I don't understand. The CBS management seem to have been like something out of Good Morning Vietnam.

If it had been me or anyone who was sane running the show the obvious thing woiuld have been to allow him to play music to fill it out and do something like he did previously in Boston.

[hideyoursheep]

Replacing Stern with Dave was doomed from the start. Not many people that heard Stern got a chance to hear Dave, as the markets went with 3 or 4 different "shows" rather than allowing Dave to "take over". In Cincinnati, it was some asshole named Rover that bombed immediately, causing the station to change format from rock to country in less than 3 months. I was looking forward to Dave's show, but never got it.

[hideyoursheep]

Stern is finished anyway, even on SiriusXM. The show has fallen completely into the toilet.

I can only tolerate so much American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, sybian rides, his rants on Leno, constantly interrupting answers to questions during an interview, repeatedly asking about penis size to the point of sounding gay. :019:

He's done, and I'm done with that show.

[Homburg]

The Roth show, at its core, was a more intellectual radio show, than the least common denominator vulgarity that`s popular with some, he had some great guests on, and Dave is certainly quite worldly in his knowledge of both macro and micro subjects.

[Diamondjimi]

And to think I was upset when Stern left K-ROCK for Sirius. Now it seems that I didn't miss much. Would it be that the quality of the show "has fallen into the toilet" because there are no rules in satellite radio? I loved the Howard Stern Show especially when he and Robin and sometimes guests talked about current events and race relations. At the same time there was all that ridiculousness, too (e.g. Butt Bongo Fiesta :019:), but because of the FCC rules he/the writers had to come up with creative ways to circumvent the obscenity laws.

I read somewhere that Howard said he thought DLR should have talked about the sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll lifestyle more, and perhaps that would have saved the show. I actually appreciated DLR for not doing that because it's so expected of him.


The Roth show, at its core, was a more intellectual radio show, than the least common denominator vulgarity that`s popular with some, he had some great guests on, and Dave is certainly quite worldly in his knowledge of both macro and micro subjects.

Agreed.

I appreciate that Dave took the high road on many things and showed a lot more intelligence than Stern did, but it would've been cool if he got a little "out there" sometimes and indulge in more R&R tales of debauchery...

[fryingdutchman]

I think ALL of us knew that Roth and radio was not going to work.

We hoped for the best, but expected the worst....and I think we got what we expected.

Wrong medium for DLR.....period.

[fryingdutchman]

Dave is certainly quite worldly in his knowledge of both macro and micro subjects.

Which is a blessing for Dave...but it was a major curse for the coveted 18-34 demographic who just wanted to be mindlessly entertained on their miserable trudge into work each morning.

DLR is definitely a thinking man's man...and nobody wanted to put that much effort into figuring out what the hell he was talking about sometimes. Especially before they even had their first cup of coffee...

[Seshmeister]

Is the 18-34 demographic so dumb that it didn't want calls or emails from abroad as claimed by the management?

Did none of these genius managers not know that Roth's demographic was 18-34 about 15 fucking years ago?

Stern pissed me off a bit throughout the whole thing with his faux concern for Roth and pretending that he wanted him to do well and that they weren't in competition whilst throwing barbs in every five minutes.

He just came across as being dishonest to me. He should either have been honest and upfront saying that he was absolutely desperate for Roth and his ex employers to fail or he should have took the high ground and said nothing.

[LoungeMachine]

I think ALL of us knew that Roth and radio was not going to work.

We hoped for the best, but expected the worst....and I think we got what we expected.

Wrong medium for DLR.....period.

Actually, no....

I was LAMBASTED here for being the first to say it was a mistake, beneath him, and doomed from the start.....

:gulp:

[LoungeMachine]

However Natra getting on the show was grate..

Dirk, from Germany..... outstanding!!!!

:gulp:

[Terry]

All of the Stern biz to one side (never cared too much for what Stern was doing: found it amusing in the early 1980s, but tiresome by the end of that decade, and as for the countless numbers of lame local Stern imitations that popped up on FM stations nationwide, the less said the better), the first half of the first decade of the new millenium for me was the nadir of Roth's career. Even more so than the YFLM/Vegas period. It was as if Roth was intentionally running from one short-term gig excursion to the next in order to keep himself open to the eventual reconciliation with the Van Halens. Not that this strategy in itself was problematic, but outside of the live stage work the projects he took on really didn't serve his talents well, be it the radio gig, the Van Strumming album, the Diamond Dave album. The sad part was the last time I saw him live in 2006, a few months before rumors of him rejoining Van Halen took on some weight, he had a shit-hot live band behind him on those solo dates. The Diamond Dave album didn't come close to representing what that band was capable of, but maybe it was because Roth was so spread out across the board in his interests that the maximum of that potential wasn't realized.

[jhale667]

However Natra getting on the show was grate..

Dirk, from Germany..... outstanding!!!!

:gulp:


I was listening that day, that was pretty damn cool... :baaa:

[thome]

I watched Sterns TV show about 20 times and blurred out boobs were never my cup of tea, I got it it was just not much more than that.
I like him live on Letterman and am happy that he took a character of shock jock and made it into a world wide ..........thing and 500 mil, that's cool, but other than that I didn't listen to his radio show.

We got cooler cats here in KC in the mornings.

I listened to the Dave Show every day on the net radio and recorded several and that is also the only interest I have had in streaming radio shows.

Dave was good, perhaps because I get it..perhaps like Stern fans get it ..? Two different animals.

I am glad Dave Show didn't last Dave on stage fronting a band, best of all Dave things..

If it was given more time Dave Show would have developed perhaps into something cool.

I believe Dave is a great entertainer and any medium seems to be a viable outlet for his talent.

Stern seems to pander to the 13 to 1/2 way thru college demographic. Dave perhaps is more of a 2nd half of college (after your balls drop) on up, years old demographic.

Mutha On BITCHEZZ!!

[Douglas T.]

DJ Stern knew Roth wouldn't work on air
Celebrated shock-jock Howard Stern says he knew the moment he met David Lee Roth that the Van Halen frontman wouldn't be able to take over his radio slot.


Confused?! Didn't Stern meet DAVE yeaaaars before the radio idea came up?!:umm:

[jhale667]

Confused?! Didn't Stern meet DAVE yeaaaars before the radio idea came up?!:umm:

True, seems like Dave had been a guest on the Stern show prior to the satellite switch...

[Dan]

Fuck It,He Got 3 Million Dollars For His Work.:D

[fryingdutchman]

Is the 18-34 demographic so dumb that it didn't want calls or emails from abroad as claimed by the management?

Did none of these genius managers not know that Roth's demographic was 18-34 about 15 fucking years ago?



Sesh...I spent the better part of 15 years working in the radio biz in Philadelphia....a fairly sizable market.

Trust me when I tell you that about 2% of the Program Directors and GM's actually have a brain.

The radio business SUCKS...and is overrun with some of the biggest lowlifes and morons in the communications industry.

[fryingdutchman]

Actually, no....

I was LAMBASTED here for being the first to say it was a mistake, beneath him, and doomed from the start.....

:gulp:

Well...I was right there with you. From the moment I heard that DLR was doing fill-in gigs in Boston and was lined up to take the morning slot from Stern, all I could do was shake my head.

I'd like to dig that old thread up because I know I posted several comments that were less than flattering about the whole Roth Radio concept.

[fryingdutchman]

One of the reasons I love Roth is his speech which is fraught with metaphors and euphemisms. It took a while before I realized what he meant when he said "delivering the groceries." Four hours of Roth talking practically by himself. I loved it.

Unfortunately you were among the minority of us who really dig Roth's sometimes-cryptic riffing. It's an acquired taste for some, and a complete turnoff for others.

In radio...they don't allow much time for people to acquire the taste. A couple of sucky Arbitron books and you're yesterdays news.

Roth was obviously going to need a lot of TLC in order to grow into something on the radio, and the stupid, greedy, instant-gratification fucks at Infinity were never going to give it.

[fryingdutchman]

And to think I was upset when Stern left K-ROCK for Sirius. Now it seems that I didn't miss much. Would it be that the quality of the show "has fallen into the toilet" because there are no rules in satellite radio? .

I was upset too when he first left...but got over it quickly after I heard the first few snippets of his satellite show on the internet. I've never bothered to invest in satellite radio myself, but I had it in a rental car a few weeks ago so I tuned in Stern for a couple of days....and it was far from the funny show I remembered it being when it was on terrestrial radio.

Part of the reason is because, as you said, there are "no rules." Part of what made Stern funny on terrestrial radio is the way he had to "wordsmith" his way around to get his point across.

The other part that started his demise, in my opinion, is when he left his wife. What made Stern so relatable and funny is that he was just another married guy like the rest of us. Devoted to his family, but frustrated and horny all the time. He staked a BIG claim on being a sexually frustrated family guy...and constantly ripped into other "stars" who were married but had no qualms about giving up wives like bad habits.

Once he dumped Allison...he became a hypocrite in the eyes of many.

Now he just comes across like an asshole. And that's coming from a guy who was once a Stern DISCIPLE....

[Douglas T.]

True, seems like Dave had been a guest on the Stern show prior to the satellite switch...

I'm guessing they just worded that first sentance wrong! Maybe the first time he heard DAVE wanted to try radio but not the moment he MET DAVE!

[joe d'amato]

... of course howard stern knew the outcome of dlr's radio stint -- he's the king of all media. if anybody should know something about radio it would be stern ...

[GreenBayLA]

First off no one can replace Howard Stern. But what really pisses me off about CBS and Les Moonvies was that they wanted Stern disciples Anthony & Opie to replace Stern but they were stuck in a contract and needed a big name fill in/fall guy. Enter David Lee Roth. Once they got O & A Roth became expendable. On the West Coast stations we got East Coast guy Adam Corolla who had about as much personality as a Toyota - LAME.

As a long time talk radio fan I a) never cared for Stern and b) heard Roth making rookie mistakes, well he was a rookie and apparently not open to coaching. But a personality like DLR didn't want to do cookie cutter talk radio. I enjoyed the show because it was all him. Sometimes he was prone to rambling and never quite found his niche but I enjoyed spending time with Dave. I remember him talking about being an EMT, a helicopter pilot, the 3 abourted VH reunions and a cool session w/ singer Natasha Bedingfield w/ Dave joining in the end of "These Words." I was moved cuz Dave was moved by her singing. A real moment on a scripted, phony forced medium -morning radio.
:hitch: "Rollin' like we stole something"

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[DavidLeeNatra]

However Natra getting on the show was grate..

Dirk, from Germany..... outstanding!!!!

:gulp:

ain't that the fucking truth!!! :D

[Polk High]

How everyone forgets how the other shows fared or how the oppie and anthony show did

[Seshmeister]

I'm still smiling at the thought Jon Stewart might work for those pathetic tired fucks...and on the radio.

[hideyoursheep]

Trying to get Dave to do "cookie cutter talk radio" is like using a Maserati as a hearse. Doesn't make much sense.

[Igosplut]

Stern was playing this the other day...old Roth: http://bit.ly/ceEd2p

That's enough spamming of that stupid shit worm brain.

[chefcraig]

This shit was old two years ago. At least the folks doing it at the time had some creative talent, and they weren't spamming morons.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTxZs-pRZ_M

[Igosplut]

But...have you heard this Igosplut? Its a nice classical piece merged with sounds of yesteryear:Link=killed

I'd rather listen to my ex yammer on, that's how much I liked it.

[Igosplut]

Get a super to ban this idiot, all he's doing is using this place for multiple links to get hits for his shitty video....

[twonabomber]

How everyone forgets how the other shows fared or how the oppie and anthony show did

they're all gone. Rover is still on in the morning, but at a Clear Channel station and not CBS.

O&A...the replacement's replacement. 'nuff said.

[Mr. Vengeance]

And to think I was upset when Stern left K-ROCK for Sirius. Now it seems that I didn't miss much. Would it be that the quality of the show "has fallen into the toilet" because there are no rules in satellite radio? I loved the Howard Stern Show especially when he and Robin and sometimes guests talked about current events and race relations. At the same time there was all that ridiculousness, too (e.g. Butt Bongo Fiesta :019:), but because of the FCC rules he/the writers had to come up with creative ways to circumvent the obscenity laws.

I read somewhere that Howard said he thought DLR should have talked about the sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll lifestyle more, and perhaps that would have saved the show. I actually appreciated DLR for not doing that because it's so expected of him.

I think the real reason Howard on Sirius has been such a disappointment is that he just got rich and plain fucking lazy. I have been a fan a long time but after the first 7-8 months on Sirius, he just started to phone it in. The show became a never ending parade of porn whores, repeat guests like Joan Rivers and Lisa Lampignelli, and phony phone calls from Sal and Richard. Then clip after clip of other shows that Howard comments on. They stopped writing.

Then the black hole which is Beth Ono....Howard becomming the king of all hypocrites and morphing into Don Imus, promoting his wife (who doesn't want to be famous...hahaha) and her projects. Then the huge mansion in the Hamptons and hobnobbing with celebs whom he used to rail on (Chevy Chase). The "small wedding with a few friends" that became a bunch a celebrities and then had Howard and Beth relegate those he works with to a back room table, while the celebs got front row seats.....

Sad. Very sad.

[ODShowtime]

Stern is finished anyway, I can only tolerate so much sybian rides.

Yeah the sybian rides are so horrible... :umm:

[bantonelli]

Regardless of what Stern says or anyone else from CBS or "FREE FM" - (and I love Stern) - Truth is... no one could take Stern's place in the same respect that no one else can take Roth's place at fronting VH. But I tell you, Roth did the kind of radio show I enjoyed and it was entertaining. Listened from Day 1 to the end... it was worth the $ I spent on a computer to wake up at 3am (pacific time) to listen live from NYC.... the only annoying thing was the commercial for Dick & Jane!

[Seshmeister]

Yeah that wasn't fun.

[DavidLeeNatra]

are these non-fat muffins...!?!?!?!?!

[Big Troubles]

all fat no flavor Natra! :biggrin: