Perspective.
> The whole David Lee Roth incident shows just how far radio
> has fallen.
>
> His hiring wasn't done by some second rate manager at a
> third rate station in East Podunk. It was done by so called
> professionals working for a large corporation that
> specializes in radio.
>
> I don't think there was a person on this board that believed
> that Roth would make a good talk show host but the "experts"
> apparently did. With people like that running radio it's no
> wonder radio is in the state that it's in. The problem
> began when the big corporations saw the success of radio in
> the 80's and thought that they could buy into the cash cow.
> They paid too much money for most of the stations, had to
> load the programming up with commercials to cover their
> costs and put accountants and MBA with absolutely no love
> for the medium in charge.
>
> These people are absolutely clueless.
>
> - Al
>
http://www.carnali.com
>
You know what? I have to disagree with you slightly. I DID when I heard the rumors think this could be interesting, I did think it. Now also remember he was taking over for a man who had been in that seat for 20 years plus and he had time to develop his act. There was an implicit expectation that whoever replaced Stern would hit the ground running and that could not happen because:
A. Howard Stern had 20 years to get up to speed.
B. You're talking about someone without radio experience just a lot of opinions and a larger tha life personality.
As someone who listened to Howard when he first made the move from WNBC to krock and listened to him develop through syndicatcion first with only WYSP and on, I can tell you that Howard was not "Howard Stern" for that first few years. Im not saying that given the time DLR could become as huge a pehenom or anything of the sort but he has not even been on a month and he's re inventing that morning show as he goes as anyone would have to. The problem is he's re inventing that timeslot from where it was while essentially learning to do radio, I dont know that this was the place to break a new talent regardless of how compelling his personality seemed. The bottom line is DLR needs time like ANY show replacing Howard would but the problem is that companies seem to be less and less patient with allowing talent time to nurture, mature, take root.. We shall see where this goes and as fashioable as it seems to be to bash this show on these boards I think that Ive made a fair assessment of the situation. Now all we can do is wait. Remember how no one had faith in Conan that first couple of years following Letterman and now he is arguably the best late night talent there is. Then again I could be full of it becasue I have Sirius and mostly listen to Howard in the mroning if Im up that early