Nielsen Releases Bubba Tampering Evidence

Bubba Clem

Nielsen Audio Inc. has filed an amended complaint in its $1 million lawsuit in Tampa against radio host Bubba the Love Sponge Clem and the Bubba Radio Network, restating its case and adding more details to alleged ratings tampering.

The new complaint, filed the day after Thanksgiving, provides pages of correspondence alleged to be between Clem and five Portable People Meter (PPM) panelists. The original lawsuit included details about one corresponding panelist.

Here are some excerpts from the amended complaint filing, according to the Tampa Business Journal:

• On August 1, 2015 at 3:04 p.m., Bubba Clem directed the Cooperating Panelist and his wife to listen heavily to iheart radio stations “93.3, 95.7, 97.9, 100.7, 103.5” and added “And some 98.7 too.” Also, Bubba Clem gave clear instruction that they should never listen to 102.5 and 94.1, competing radio stations that, upon information and belief, broadcast theprograms of Bubba Clem’s main rivals.
• On September 13, 2015, beginning at 3:22 p.m. Bubba Clem texted: “Buddy.Horrible week . . .” “2.75” “We got killed.” Bubba Clem then asked, “Did u miss a weekday last week?” The Cooperating Panelist explained that he had not been able to tune to Bubba Clem’s program for a short time because of a family emergency, to which Bubba Clem responded, “Two days of u missing. Kills us boss. Buddy it’s ok. Just can’t miss days. Cause it kills us. I know it sucks.”
• Bubba Clem: “When do u get them. How many u getting” Panelist No. 3: “It says in the letter a few days and I should get 4” Bubba Clem: “Ok. We have to talk” Panelist No. 3: “I got ya cuzzie. Do you want me to wait till I get the diaries?” Bubba Clem: “[Direct message] me as soon as u get them” “You cannot call the show to discuss this” “[Direct message] me ur cell I’ll call u later”

Nielsen filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida in mid-October, seeking punitive damages for what it claims was the "willful, wanton and malicious nature" of Clem, according to the lawsuit.

Clem admitted he was "humbled and embarrassed" by the situation in a press conference in October. Beasley Media Group, operator of WBRN 98.7, suspended Clem from broadcasting the live show on WBRN, "although it continued to air Bubba Clem's broadcasts on its other stations," the original complaint states.