Big D and Bubba
 | |
| Genre | Comedy, Country Music |
|---|---|
| Running time | 4 hours (approximately) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Home station | None (broadcasts out of Nashville, TN) |
| Starring | Derek Haskins (Big D) and Sean Powell (Bubba) |
| Written by | Big D and Bubba, Patrick Thomas |
| Produced by | Patrick Thomas |
| Original release | December 1996 – present |
| Website | bigdandbubba.com |
The Big D and Bubba Show is a nationally syndicated radio show airing six days a week on about 50 country music FM radio stations. The show is syndicated by Compass Media Networks. Live shows are broadcast from 6 to 10 AM (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday with a "best of" show heard on Saturdays.
Big D (Derek Haskins) is married with two sons and spent time as an exchange student in Russia. He is a licensed pilot and is originally from Tennessee.[1] Bubba (Sean Powell) grew up in Louisiana and started on the radio at age 14. He has spent time working for radio stations in Guam and Tokyo. He is married with three children and is also a licensed pilot.
History
Big D and Bubba first teamed up in December 1996 on WXCT (now WTGE) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The show gained enough success to garner the attention of cross-town country rival WYNK-FM. In February 1999, Big D and Bubba signed a deal with AMFM Broadcasting (then owner of WYNK) to do mornings on the station and have the ability to syndicate the show nationally. No country morning show had ever been successful in a nationally syndicated format for an extended period of time. Soon after their debut on WYNK, AMFM Broadcasting was purchased by Clear Channel Communications, a forerunner to iHeartMedia, Inc..
In August 1999, Big D and Bubba hired Patrick Thomas away from Baton Rouge Top 40 station WFMF to produce their morning show. He was brought on board in anticipation of future syndication opportunities and is still with the show to this day.
On December 6, 1999, Big D and Bubba were first heard on KMML-FM in Amarillo, Texas. This marked the beginning of syndication.
The show grew slowly but steadily while fighting the widely held belief that a syndicated country morning show simply would not work. They also had to convince the industry that a show based in a medium-sized radio market, such as Baton Rouge, could be successful. By the summer of 2003, the Big D and Bubba Show was heard on 14 radio stations (more than any other country morning show).
Big D and Bubba did not want to pass up the opportunity to base their show in the center of the country music format. So, when WSIX-FM offered them a state-of-the-art studio and the chance to broadcast from Music Row, they moved the show to Nashville.
In September 2005, Big D and Bubba signed a syndication deal with Premiere Radio Networks. With over 50 affiliates, they feel they've proven that a syndicated morning show can work in the country music format, through a combination of compelling content and local customization.
In September 2013, Big D and Bubba announced that they were leaving Premiere Networks to form their own production company called Silverfish Media. They signed a partnership deal with Compass Media Networks to distribute the show, sell advertising, and license the show to affiliates. Another syndicated country morning show, "Bobby Bones," now airs on WSIX-FM and is carried by Premiere Networks.
Awards and recognition
- 2006 Radio and Records Magazine "Country Personalities of the Year"
- 2007, 2014 Academy of Country Music "National Personalities of the Year" (2008, 2015)
- Nominated for Country Music Association "National Personalities of the Year" in 2002, 2007, 2011, and 2014.