Stern reveals radio show’s successors

Howard Stern, who is literally counting the days before he leaves terrestrial radio for satellite, pumped up the volume on widely circulating replacement rumors by revealing on the air Monday that comedian Adam Carolla and ex-rocker David Lee Roth will take over his popular morning time slot, at least in the Los Angeles and New York markets respectively.

If true, the personnel moves by Infinity Broadcasting – whose contract with Stern expires at the end of the year – suggest that multiple radio personalities in regional markets will be used to fill in for the shock jock who routinely bills himself as the “king of all media.”

Infinity officials did not return phone calls for comment about Stern’s on-air revelations. Since rumors about Roth began swirling earlier this month, the Viacom-owned company has maintained that no announcement regarding Stern is imminent.

Meanwhile, radio analysts – and Stern himself – have speculated that Infinity may dump the New York-based personality as early as September, reasoning that advertisers would be reluctant to buy ads knowing that Stern would soon be off the air.

Roth, best remembered for his rowdy rocker days as front man for the rock group Van Halen and later as a solo artist, has been experimenting with his “Diamond Dave” morning show at a classic-rock station in Boston. The singer still tours occasionally and has a performance scheduled July 29 in Redding.

Carolla is currently cohost, along with Dr. Drew Pinsky, of the nationally syndicated radio program “Loveline,” which broadcasts often sexually explicit advice, mostly to teens and twentysomethings. The show is heard locally on KROQ-FM (106.7). The longtime comic, who has been a frequent guest on Stern’s radio show, earned a reputation for dry wit and ribald humor as the previous cohost of Comedy Central’s “The Man Show.”

Phone calls for Roth and Carolla were not returned.

Stern made his announcement Monday morning on his show – broadcast locally on KSLX-FM (97.1) – following an elaborate hourlong ruse he staged in which it appeared Roth already had taken over the show and the longtime shock jock has been summarily bounced out of his job. In fact, Stern used comic Bill Mira, who has been doing a credible Roth voice imitation for months for the show, to be “Diamond Dave.” Monday was Stern’s first day back on the air after a two-week vacation.

The hoax fooled several television and radio outlets in New York, which dispatched news crews to cover the story. Meanwhile, irate fans phoned into register their disgust and dismay over the unexpected switch while others expressed their shock on fan websites. For example, “Bong-Hit Eric,” a frequent caller to the show, phoned in alarmed that his marijuana might have been tainted with angel dust after hearing “Diamond Dave” instead of Stern.

The 51-year-old radio personality is a recognized master at manipulating the media and is famous for his embellishments and exaggerations. On Monday’s show, for instance, reacting for the first time to the London terrorist bombings, Stern suggested that the United States should start dropping nuclear bombs on countries suspected of hiding Osama bin Laden until he is turned over to the U.S.

Last year, Stern signed a five-year agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio worth an estimated $500 million. The network is betting that much of Stern’s fan base will follow him to a subscription-only service, which charges about $13 per month, but is free of much of the language and taste restrictions imposed by the Federal Communications Commission on traditional radio formats.

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Times staff writer Brian Triplett contributed to this story.