Free FM launches, Stern replacement strategy unveiled

A week after Infinity CEO Joel Hollander denied rumors that the company was about to launch a series of "Free-FM" stations (10/18 MediaMix), the company has done just that. As part of Infinity's Howard Stern replacement strategy, Free FM stations will feature an eclectic mix of local and national personalities on a hybrid of provocative, political, pop culture, news, music and lifestyle formats. Rather than replace Stern with one new morning show, Infinity is pinning its hopes on three - - David Lee Roth, Adam Carolla and Rover, along with local replacement in a few markets.

"We've been working this thing for nine months. We talked to many different people - -whether it was Jay Moore, Heraldo Rivera, Chris Rock, Dennis Miller, etc. It was widely speculated that we had an agreement with Mancow, which we never did. The only place we really considered him for was Chicago. We think he's a good talent, he just didn't fit our plans," Hollander told RBR yesterday. Here's how the whole realignment is going down:

Beginning yesterday KLSX-FM LA, WCKG-FM LA, KLLI-FM Dallas, WJFK-FM DC, WKRK-FM Detroit, WHFS-FM Baltimore, KIFR-FM San Francisco, WYSP-FM Philadelphia and KPLN-FM San Diego converted over. WXRK-FM NY, the flagship station for the David Lee Roth Show, replacing Howard Stern there, will debut Free FM in January. The recently announced Infinity syndication deal with WTKK-FM Boston talker Jay Severin will only overlap with WJFK on the Free FM side.

David Lee Roth and Adam Carolla have been named as morning drive hosts at WXRK and KLSX-FM respectively, beginning 1/3. Additional markets to broadcast Roth include KLLI, WYSP, WBCN-FM Boston, WRKZ-FM Pittsburgh, WNCX-FM Cleveland and WPBZ-FM West Palm Beach. Carolla will also be heard on KIFR, KPLN, KZON-FM Phoenix, KUFO-FM Portland and KXTE-FM Las Vegas. Carolla will be leaving Loveline in the next week or two and his replacement will be named in the next few weeks.

Late night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel will serve as creative consultant for The Adam Carolla Show, as well as advisor for Infinity. He will assist in the development of new talent and show ideas and make guest appearances on the program.

Penn Jillette, half of the entertainment duo Penn & Teller, has also been named as host of a unique one-hour live radio program that will be featured on WXRK, WCKG, KIFR-FM, WJFK-FM, WKRK, KPLN-FM, WHFS and KSFN-AM Las Vegas, beginning in January.

In addition, a variety of morning drive programming options have been developed for the remaining Stern stations:

* Rover, currently heard on WXTM and WAZU-FM Columbus, adds WCKG-FM in Chicago, WKRK-FM Detroit, WAQZ-FM Cincinnati, WMFS-FM Memphis and WZNE-FM Rochester to his roster of stations. WCKG will serve as the flagship.

* WJFK's The Sports Junkies will expand their lineup to include WHFS.

* KITS-FM San Francisco will launch the "Morning Music Co-op," an entertainment-based program featuring alternative music with listener involvement/interaction and minimal commercial interruption.

RBR observation:
Do not wish to differ on Mancow as he is an excellent talent but RBR sources report Mancow and Hollander just did not see completely eye to eye. Plus Mancow has strong loyalty ties with Emmis and TRN. RBR sees the best bet for Mancow is keep doing what he is doing as you do not want to be the guy that replaces Stern but rather the guy after the guy that replaced Stern. Like Jay Leno will always be the guy that replaced Johnny Carson but David Letterman stands on his own. If you get what we drift.