Cox Radio has fired two of its longtime personalities from hot talker WHPT-FM Tampa Bay (102.5 The Bone), including one host who “seemingly has a tense relationship” with one of the station’s biggest stars, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.
Matt “Spice” Loyd, who hosted The Spice Show on WHPT weeknights at 7 p.m. and once worked as a member of Clem’s radio team, was let go 8/26, along with Chris Fisher, known mostly to fans by his last name.
Fisher blamed economics for his departure, saying he knew Cox Radio wouldn’t pay a full salary to have him host his show, “The Fisher Experiment,” from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays (Fisher had served as a morning host and then afternoon host at Cox Radio’s Alternative WSUN-FM 97X, just before that station adopted an all-request format via LDR.
“I knew overnights were just a placeholder until they could figure out what to do with me,” Fisher, 41, told The Tampa Bay Times. “It wasn’t about performance…I just realized this is part of the business.”
Loyd posted on Twitter Monday that “budget cuts” were also the reason he was given for the change. His show debuted last year when the station converted to a male-oriented, music-less hot talk format which seemed to have worked in the ratings.
That’s a notion Loyd echoed on Twitter Monday, posting “As for ratings, last quarter I was #1 in my demo & time slot. Anyways, lets get drunk…”
But Loyd has also faced tension online with his former boss as fans and critics trade rumors on Twitter that Clem interceded to have him fired, noted the story.
Loyd seemed to acknowledge those rumors on Twitter Monday, posting “Revenge is the best revenge….right Bubba? Just checking…”
See the Tampa Bay Times story here.
RBR-TVBR observation: Bubba needs to run for political office. He’s untouchable and clearly wields a lot of power and respect in Tampa—including from the local police departments for his charity work. Ask Todd Schnitt, Hulk Hogan and now Loyd—don’t mess with Bubba!
Bubba, Fisher and Spice all suck.
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