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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Todd Schnitt Testifies Against Bubba The Love Sponge

Todd 'MJ' Schnitt
Tampa Radio Personality Todd ‘MJ’ Schnitt testified Tuesday in his civil suit against Todd 'Bubbas The Love Sponge' Clem and talked about his broadcasting career starting at WCPK in Virginia at age 16. In 1982 as a sophomore in high school he moved to a slightly larger talk radio station, then went to Los Angeles and then to New York City.

He did his first morning talk show. The MJ Morning Show in West Palm Beach, and then got a call in 1994 for a job in the Tampa area which became the MJ and BJ Morning Show for Clear Channel’s WFLZ 93.3 FM. His morning show included comedy/prank phone calls and pop culture, targeting women aged 18-49.

He currently does the "Schnitt Show" in the afternoons on N/T WFLA 970 AM radio.

The swflorida.blog reports he said he considers himself a broadcaster with a reputation "in good standing" in the community. But says, it's "Not as good as it used to be," alleging Todd ‘Bubba’ Clem was the factor in a change of his reputation starting in January, 2008. He described people calling him names, screaming at him, and nasty emails and phone calls. Bubba Clem returned to the Tampa radio market in January, 2008.

The jury was shown dozens of nasty reading emails from listeners.

Todd 'Bubba' Clem
Schnitt played well to the jury, alternately looking at his attorney as questions were asked and then speaking to the jury on opposite sides of the courtroom, fielding hundreds of questions.

He described a Mother's Day 2008 incident as he was taking his wife and kids to lunch when he found his  wife's car, the house and yard littered with eggs and had to cancel the dinner out in order to clean up the mess he told the court.

Schnitt says he found a note at his gate signed by the "Bubba Army." He then contracted to buy a $12,000 video security system after making a report with the Tampa police about the vandalism.

Also testifying were more members of Bubba the Love Sponge Clem's radio show. They said the Tampa shock jock's alleged verbal attacks on fellow Tampa DJ Todd "MJ" Schnitt were all about a radio war, not character assassination.

Matthew Lloyd, a 102.5 The Bone FM personality known as "Spice" on the radio, was a member of Bubba's show five years ago when the alleged verbal attacks took place.


"The goal was to be No. 1 in the ratings)," Lloyd said. "MJ had the number one slot, and the goal was to win," according to BayNews9.

Schnitt's lawyer asked Lloyd, who could be heard laughing in the background of one of the clips, if he thought calling Schnitt's wife a bad name was funny. Lloyd said it was all part of the game.


Clem denies the claims, saying he was using "hyperbole" and "satire," that the Schnitts are public figures and his comments were protected by the First Amendment, according to tbo.com.

The trial is now in its second week and testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. For live coverage, Click Here.

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