Press Room
(L to R) Albertina Brown, widow of Sgt. Ronnie Brown; Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd; Bubba the Love Sponge® Clem)
RADIO HOST RAISES AND PRESENTS $24,000 DONATION TO FAMILIES OF TWO FALLEN OFFICERS
TAMPA, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 19, 2009: Checks totaling $24,000 were presented today to the families of two local law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, or from injuries they suffered, by syndicated radio host Bubba the Love Sponge® Clem and representatives of local businesses that raised funds for the donations.
Checks for $12,000 each were presented at a noon event held at Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City, Florida to the families of Tampa Police Corporal Mike Roberts, who was killed in August during a confrontation with an armed suspect, and Polk County Sergeant Ronnie Brown, who died in September following complications from surgery after being wounded in an altercation with an inmate at South Polk County jail.
In attendance were Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd; Tampa Police Major Sophie Teague, who accepted on behalf of Cpl. Roberts’ widow, Cindy Roberts; Albertina Brown, widow of Sgt. Ronnie Brown; representatives from local businesses who contributed funds, including Stingray Chevrolet, The Car Store, Old Northeast Jewelers and Auto Trader; members of Florida Highway Patrol; and Tampa-based syndicated radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge®, whose Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation initiated the fundraising effort and also contributed funds.
Speakers included Sheriff Grady Judd, Major Sophie Teague, Albertina Brown and Bubba the Love Sponge® Clem.
With today’s donation, the Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation has raised a total of $50,000 in 2009 that has been donated to the families of fallen police officers. In September, checks totaling $26,000 were presented to the families of three area law enforcement officers who were injured or killed in the line of duty.
More information about the Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation is available at www.btlsfoundation.org.
Check Presentation to Fallen Officers’ Families
Check presentations totaling $24,000 to widows/families of Polk County Sgt. Ronnie Brown and Tampa Police Cpl. Mike Roberts, officers who were killed in the line of duty or died as a result of injuries suffered. Funds being donated are from the Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation and local businesses.
WHO:
- Families / representatives of deceased officers
- Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd
- Tampa Police Dept. Major Sophie Teague (to accept on behalf of Cindy Roberts)
- Members of Cpl. Mike Roberts’ squad from Tampa Police Dept.
- Other local law enforcement officials and members
- Syndicated radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge® Clem
- Representatives from local businesses who also provided donations
WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12:00 pm ET
WHERE: Stingray Chevrolet, 2002 North Frontage Road, Plant City, FL 33566
MORE:
The Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation (www.btlsfoundation.org) is donating funds, and has raised funds from local businesses, to assist the families of the two deceased officers. Sgt. Ronnie Brown died Sept. 9 following complications from surgery after being wounded in an altercation with an inmate at South Polk County jail. Tampa Police Cpl. Mike Roberts was killed Aug. 19 during a confrontation with an armed suspect.
Clem, who is a morning talk show host on 102.5 The Bone in Tampa, created the Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation in early 2009 to help with any charitable aspects in the community. This foundation, in conjunction with several areas businesses, will present a check to the widow of Sgt. Ronnie Brown at Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City Nov. 19. Clem will also present a check to the widow of Cpl. Mike Roberts, of Hillsborough County, who also was shot and killed Aug. 19.
Brown, who was working as a Polk detention deputy at the South Polk County jail in Frostproof, was involved in an altercation with an inmate on Aug. 30 and suffered a fractured vertebrae. Brown had surgery at Winter Haven hospital, but died on Sept. 9 after complications from his injury.
“We have strategically positioned our foundation to help officers or first responders,” Clem said. “After Sgt. Brown died, and also Cpl. Roberts in Tampa was shot as well, we wanted to do something to help these two widows.”
Clem’s foundation has been a part of a Bikes For Badges event along with assisting in raising money for fallen police officers or first responders. Bikes For Badges was the first big charitable event that Clem’s foundation contributed to.
Stingray Chevrolet’s Steve Hurley was the first business owner to step up and approach Clem about assisting in raising money for the fallen deputies. Hurley agreed to give $50 for every new or used car sold at his dealership during the month of October. Shellie Herndon, of the Car Store in Seffner, agreed to give $100 for every new or used car sold. Other businesses participating included Purple People Movers, K&J Pressure Cleaning, The Bay Area Motor Works and Old Northeast Jewelers.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who has appeared as a guest on the Bubba the Love Sponge® show, will attend the check presentation and honor Brown’s memory. He said he’s very appreciative to what Clem and the other businesses are doing to assist in the healing process for Brown’s family.
“I’m overwhelmed that they would do this and It’s truly an honor for me to be there,” Judd said. “What’s overwhelming about it is the fact that people who don’t even know Sgt. Brown are going above and beyond to show their appreciation and that’s special to me.”
Judd said this shows the power of a community and people who want to help a fallen deputy.
“We live together, and when an officer dies in the line of duty we all grieve together as well,” Judd said.
Clem expressed the satisfaction that comes with being able to help two widows who no longer have their husbands in their life.
“My foundation is the forum in that we all come together, but there are a lot of good people behind this with a bunch of good businesses behind this,” Clem said. “This is not about me. It’s about the two families that we are helping during this tough time.”
‘Bubbapalooza’ to sponge up the laughs for City of Champions
The Pittsburgh region will reap yet one more reward for the Steelers’ winning the Super Bowl earlier this year.
The victory over the Arizona Cardinals earned us a concert from trash-talking shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge®. “Bubbapalooza” lays siege Saturday to the Palace Theatre in Greensburg.
“This is unlike anything we’ve ever done,” Bubba says. “This is a free show, because I vowed to my listeners that whatever team won the Super Bowl gets a free Bubbapalooza.” The brawny Bubba rankled censors for years on terrestrial radio before Clear Channel Communications fired him in 2004 after Congress put pressure on radio to clean up its act.
After two years in limbo, Howard Stern stepped up to offer Bubba his own show on Sirius-XM Radio’s channel Howard 101. “The Bubba the Love Sponge® Show” airs 3 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays. He also hosts a morning show carried on several terrestrial Florida stations.
Nearly 1,000 tickets to Saturday’s show have been given away to callers to the radio show.
He was born Todd Clem in Indiana but legally changed his name to Bubba the Love Sponge® Clem in 1999. He also trademarked the name. His radio show is a scrum of locker-room put-downs, celebrity interviews and adult humor. A recent guest on the show was Pittsburgh native, wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, whose recent legal troubles have overshadowed his accomplishments. The show also has followed the legal travails of Hulk Hogan.
“I think it’s the nature of the beast,” Bubba says. “I think anybody that’s in the limelight will have legal problems.”
Bubba’s own legal problems included animal cruelty charges when he slaughtered a wild boar on the air during the airing of a segment titled “Roadkill Barbecue.” He was acquitted after pointing out that the animal was legally trapped.
As for the show, well, what you hear on the radio is what you’ll see, he says.
“I can’t promise you that it won’t be too gross and over the top. But that’s our listeners. And we pretty much do a kind of dual rendition of what we do on the air. We beat each other up. We tell dirty jokes. We sing dirty songs.
“It’s like Donny and Marie meets Jerry Springer meets ‘Jackass,’ with a little bit of spoken-word methamphetamine.”
Bubbapalooza is sold out, but tickets still are being given away on the air. Some last-minute tickets may be available the day of the show.
pittsburghlive.com
Best of the Bay 2009: The complete list of winners
Here they are: The Best of the Bay winners as judged by CL writers, editors and readers, who voted this year in record numbers.
Arts & Entertainment:
Best local porn star who’s actually a porn star
Stormy Daniels may be considering a 2010 run for the U.S. Senate in her home state of Louisiana, and she may do most of her adult work on the west coast, but right here in Tampa Bay is where she parties, is a favorite guest of Bubba the Love Sponge®, and gets arrested for domestic abuse. Stormy is not the kind of “porn star” who does webcam work or looks for adult gigs on Craigslist for extra drug money. She emerged on the national adult scene in 2004, winning AVN’s coveted Best New Starlet. She has since expanded her adult credits to include award-winning writer, director, producer and novelist.
READERS’ POLL:
Best Radio Personality
Bubba the Love Sponge®
Best Local Troublemaker
Joe Redner
Runner up: Bubba the Love Sponge®
Creative Loafing.com
SUN COAST PBA PRESENTS CHECKS TO ASSIST
THREE FALLEN / INJURED OFFICERS’ FAMILIES WITH FUNDS RAISED BY
BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGE® FOUNDATION
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 10, 2009: Checks totaling $26,000 were presented today by the Sun Coast PBA (Police Benevolent Association) Executive Board to assist the families of three area law enforcement officers who were injured or killed in the line of duty.
The checks were presented during a special event held at 12 pm ET today at the Sun Coast PBA’s Clearwater offices that was attended by members of the Sun Coast PBA Executive Board, area law enforcement officials and members, and Tampa-based syndicated radio host Bubba the Love Sponge® Clem.
The funds were raised through the St. Petersburg charity event “Bubba’s Bikes for Badges,” which was held on May 9 and administered by the radio host’s Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation, a Florida 501(C) charity. The event featured a motorcycle ride and poker run, with approximately 3,000 registered participants.
Recipients of the donations are the families of Hernando County Sheriff’s Office patrol division commander Scott Bierwiler, who was killed in an auto accident in Brooksville earlier this year, and two undercover St. Petersburg officers: one who was shot by a suspect in May 2008, and one who was shot multiple times while breaking up a robbery at a gas station in January.
In appreciation, Sun Coast PBA presented a plaque dedicated to “Bubba Clem, the Bubba Army and the Bubba the Love Sponge® Foundation, Inc., for your generous time, donation and ongoing support for the law enforcement community and for the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association.”
“It’s nice to know there are people out there who we can count on for support in troubled times,” said Sun Coast PBA Executive Director Michael Krohn, Esq. “It gives our members the chance to feel and see that they are appreciated for all their hard work and grave risks they take daily. This is a wonderful collaborative effort from the community, especially from Bubba and the Bubby Army.”
Bubba said, “I consider it my duty as a citizen and a broadcaster to support the work of those who secure our community, and I will continue to do whatever I can to assist them.”
The top-rated Bubba the Love Sponge® Show is broadcast live weekday mornings from 6am to 10am on Tampa’s WHPT-FM (102.5 The Bone), and is syndicated by WFYV/Jacksonville, WRXK/Ft. Myers, WHDR/ Miami, WHTQ/Orlando, WDYL/Richmond and WZLR/Dayton. The show is also broadcast nationwide by Sirius-XM Radio.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:29 PM
During just his first six months in the Ft. Myers-Naples-Marco Island market on WRXK-FM (96.1 K-Rock), the audience for Bubba the Love Sponge® already surpasses many more established morning radio programs in the market, including the syndicated Bob & Tom Show (heard locally on WARO-FM).
The latest Arbitron radio rating demonstrate Bubba’s broad appeal and his dominating popularity with male audiences, in particular – and shows him clobbering The Bob & Tom Show in at least three major demographics.
According to the Spring 2009 book, his first since Bubba’s morning show began airing on Beasley Broadcast Group’s 96.1 K-Rock in January:
▪ Bubba’s show possesses the number-one ranking with the coveted Persons 25-54 demographic, obtaining a 8.2 AQH (average quarter hour) share. Comparatively, The Bob & Tom Show received only a 5.8 rating in this category.
▪ Bubba is also number one with Men 25-54, with a 10.6 AQH share. The Bob & Tom Show had only a 6.2 rating in this category. And before Bubba joined the station, WRXK had only a 1.6 AQH share in this category and was not even ranked in the top ten.
▪ Bubba’s rating with the Persons 12+ demographic is a 5.0 AQH share, which combined with his 1.0 AQH share morning show ratings in the market on WHPT/Tampa, gives him a total 6.0 rating with the 12+ demographic. With or without WHPT, Bubba outranked The Bob & Tom Show, who had only a 4.7 rating in this category.
Simply put: If you want morning domination with adults, you want Bubba the Love Sponge®. If you want a morning show that will quickly take the shine off of Bob & Tom in your market – you want Bubba!