tellhimfred.com

Well, I was wrong.

It’s not the first time and it certainly won’t be the last.

A while back I thought that CBS Radio might have canned David Lee Roth when he went on a vaction. It was just a weird timing issue since it was right around the time that Roth’s dismal ratings came out.

And this week, I thought he was gone for good. No again.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Roth was not on the air. But he was back today with a new format. The company decided to bag his sidekicks, his awful music, and told Roth to stick to the new format.

From FMQB:

Down to just his board-op Hutch as the only other person in the studio, Roth said he was facing “disciplinary action” if he didn’t adhere to new “an entirely new format” set forth in a four page letter issued by CBS Radio, which included talk without music beds, more discussion of currents news items, and the introduction of sports as a topic of conversation. Roth said he would be fired if he continued to do his program as he had been and that CBS Radio would not be obligated to pay out the remainder of his contract.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they bring in a gal to read the weather or read the traffic,” Roth suggested. “If I didn’t know any better I would say they are trying to sabotage the deal, but I know they fully support and love me.” He later added, “[CBS Radio CEO/President] Joel Hollander did tell me I needed to be flexible, but I didn’t know he meant I would need a lubricant.”

Meanwhile, WBCN’s ratings continue to fall. The station is now clinging to the #15 ratings spot. Ouch.

Now there’s talk that CBS radio will try to sign a syndication deal with O&A.

At first, I thought it would be a bad thing: I thought O&A would be leaving XM and would be broadcasting on regular radio. Not so. Instead, O&A would broadcast their uncut show on XM, and would broadcast an edited version of the show, on delay, to FM stations.

I guess I’m for that.