The Anti-Management Dave Rave

According to the trades today, David Lee Roth, Howard Stern’s replacement in New York, is complaining about management and doing an entertaining show. This is probably going to be effective. Howard did it. I worked with one personality who turned it into an art form.

I remember two things about that experience. First, it worked. People love to hear the “little guy” lash out at the big bad boss. Second, it poisoned the radio station.

That is the danger. If the air talent could stop with upper management, maybe this wouldn’t happen. But in many cases the wrath is eventually spread around to include the station format, the music, the other personalities and the staff. I’ve seen receptionists driven to tears by bullying personalities.

I never heard stories of that happening with Howard Stern, and maybe that is one more line that true professionals know where to draw.

Also, this is much better as “spice” than as the foundation of a show. In my opinion, the anti-management thing works best if it is one of four or five ongoing threads he was weaving in and out of the show. And it works best when the audience is totally convinced that management is somewhere on the other side of Darth Vader. From what I’ve read, David Lee won’t have any problem accomplishing that. Great drama!