This is an old revision of this page, as edited by LouPickney (talk | contribs) at 20:18, 25 June 2005 (This gives a short, but complete, history of Bubba's broadcast career.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:18, 25 June 2005 by LouPickney (talk | contribs) (This gives a short, but complete, history of Bubba's broadcast career.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Bubba the Love Sponge Clem (born Todd Clem, he legally changed his name) is a Tampa, Florida radio talk show host who has had a colorful past. Beginning initially in college radio in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1984, Bubba made his professional debut on April 1, 1985. Initially going by the name of "Rockin' Bubba Clem" as his on-air moniker, a fellow DJ gave Bubba the name "Bubba The Love Sponge" (Media:http://www.bubbaarmy.com/audio/btlsname.mp3), and it stuck and became his radio name. Bubba has federally trademarked the name, and he legally changed his name to Bubba The Love Sponge Clem in 1999.
By the time he was 25 years old, Bubba was doing morning drive radio in Chicago, and he proved to be a radio phenom at an early age. He worked as a DJ in the CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio)/Top 40 field, earning multiple Billboard Magazine awards for DJ of the year. Bubba moved around a great deal in his early years, as many DJs have to do, working in markets like Grand Rapids, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Orlando.
It was at WXXL in Orlando where Bubba began to hone his edgy, in-your-face style of radio. When his time ended there, Tampa's WFLZ-FM, then known as The Power Pig 93.3 (details of which are available on ThePowerPig.com), hired Bubba to do nights, and that's where he began to draw national attention for his wild, unpredictable style. Bubba invented "No Panties Thursday", another term that he trademarked (and a concept that has since been ripped off by countless stations across the country).
In December 1996, WXTB, known in Tampa as 98 Rock, hired Bubba to do morning drive. That was a departure for Bubba from his usual pop radio environment, but he welcomed the new challenge. With the help of Manson (Mike Waters), who many consider to be the most talented bit writer in the country, Bubba's show quickly climbed in the ratings, and he became a larger-than-life presence in the market.
Bubba held back on no one, taking local politicians and national leaders to task on issues that he found important. Bubba made fun of "warm and fuzzy radio", which Bubba decried as being mind-numbing fluff. At the same time, he entertained with a brash style that captivated a wide audience, appealing to blue-collar workers and upper-level executives alike.
In January 2001, the Bubba The Love Sponge show went into syndication. During its run, the show aired on stations in Jacksonville, Orlando, , West Palm Beach, Ft. Myers, Wichita, Shreveport and Macon. XM Radio carried the show as well, first on tape delay, and then live in morning drive.
In 2002 and 2003, Radio & Records named Bubba the national Active Rock Personality/Show of the Year. While many stations feared bringing in a show that was as edgy as Bubba's, he had the respect of his contemporaries, or at least most of them.
The Federal Communications Commission issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (a precusor to a fine) of $755,000 against four stations owned Clear Channel Communications on January 27, 2004 for complaints made by a single individual made for broadcasts that all took place in 2001. The fine consisted of the maximum of $27,500 for each of 26 airings of a segment the FCC alleged were "designed to pander to, titillate and shock listeners", plus $40,000 for record-keeping violations. . The weekend following the release of the NAL, the Janet Jackson Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy happened, and the entire atmosphere in the media world was changed, with an era of paranoia being ushered into place.
Bubba was fired by Clear Channel on 24 February 2004, and despite having non-Clear Channel affiliates that still wanted the program, the BTLS show went on hiatus. Clear Channel later reached a settlement with the FCC rather than fight the validity of the claims issued in the NAL.
In 2004, Clem unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for the office of sheriff of Pinellas County, Florida against Jim Coats, who was a 30+ veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department. No Democrat has ever been elected Sheriff of Pinellas County.