Howard Stern

An Imus Mess and Stern's Schadenfreude
Published April 12, 2007 @ 14:44 in Howard Stern

SternWhen radio host Don Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos", his face got plastered all over the media. There are Imus articles on every site, he's on CNN and everyone's got an opinion on whether he should be canned or not.

Everything I know about Don Imus I learnt from Howard Stern. Stern hates Imus and this hate on goes back to his NBC radio days when they worked together. The Imus character shows up in "Private Parts" and when I listened to Stern it was a frequent rant. If it wasn't for Howard Stern, I'd have had no idea who Imus was before this controversy exploded.

I no longer hear Howard Stern's radio show, but I was naturally curious what he's been saying about this Imus mess. This article gave me a taste and even included some quotes from the king of all media. If you're curious about Stern's current state of schadenfreude, read on.

  • "He does nothing. He mumbles, he can't speak English, he can't be understood. He was never funny. You listen to the show, I defy you to laugh."
  • "He's completely insane."
  • "Go away. Really. It's time."
  • "There's probably a 70 percent chance [CBS Radio and MSNBC are] going to have to fire this guy.... He's in for a shitstorm because the girl's basketball team is going to have a press conference, and that's going to look real bad."
  • "I guarantee you the wife leaves him. If he loses his job, she leaves him within a year. [And if that happens,] I will leave Beth to fuck her."
  • "If it was me and I did something stupid like that I would just go on and say, 'I'm not going on Al Sharpton's show. Al Sharpton is a piece of shit. He's just a human being that is bankrupt, and he should pay his bills.... I would rather just leave the radio than apologize to that man.... I like Al Sharpton, by the way."
  • "I mean, come on, Al Sharpton. Imus, get some fucking dignity."
  • "I've never seen a 67-year-old guy look that bad."
  • "Imus is a moron."
  • "Imus had a perfectly nice life, he had no listeners. No one ever bothered him. Now all of a sudden he's getting all this attention, he's cracking. He handled that like shit."
  • "How is Imus on the radio? Do you understand a word he says?"
  • "He looks awful. How old is Imus for real? Doesn't he look 80?"
Howard Stern's Big Move
Published February 14, 2007 @ 18:56 in Howard Stern

howardsternHoward Stern, the man who said he would never again marry, is getting married. He proposed last night to Beth Ostrosky, his girlfriend of the past six years.

Stern is a master manipulator of the media, and another Howard Stern has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. Howard K. Stern was married to Anna Nicole Smith and with her death his name was all over the press, sometimes with the "K" omitted.

I don't mean to be overly cynical here, but it's no secret shock jock Howard Stern hated the other Howard Stern being all over the press because many confused the two. Announcing an unlikely engagement to 34 year old Beth O was a slick move that will clear up any confusion about which Howard was married to Anna Nicole and named in the paternity suit.

When Howard K. Stern is implicated in Anna Nicole's death, Beth O will just have to announce she's expecting.

Howard Stern Returns To Canada
Published February 1, 2006 @ 12:12 in Howard Stern, My 2 Cents

Howard SternSirius Canada will add Howard Stern to its lineup starting next week. This is a reversal of an earlier decision. I don't understand why he was left off the Canadian lineup in the first place.

I was forced to find an alternative way of hearing Stern's show, and I've been enjoying it every morning for weeks now. That's all I'm going to say on the subject.

My Link of the Day
Published December 16, 2005 @ 08:15 in Howard Stern, Links

Mike's Link of the DayHoward Stern Don't Bleeping Miss This - In 44 minutes Yahoo! is covering the Howard Stern festivities on the streets of New York as he concludes his career on terrestrial radio.

The Snow and Howard Stern
Published December 9, 2005 @ 09:52 in Howard Stern

SnowWhile we slept last night, it snowed in Toronto. That meant a morning of shoveling and slower-than-normal traffic. Creeping along a highway can be hell, but I didn't mind. I was enjoying the Howard Stern radio show.

I've got five more mornings of this and then I'm S.O.L. Five more mornings of Stern on WBUF and then he's off to Sirius, but only in America. He's not part of the initial Sirius Canada lineup which means there's really no way I can continue to enjoy his program.

Helping someone forget they're battling deranged drivers in slippery, icy snow during a painful commute to work is a truly priceless service. Five more mornings and counting...

Noticeably Absent
Published November 4, 2005 @ 08:07 in Howard Stern, Radio

Howard SternSirius Canada announced their 100 channel lineup the other day. Here are some quotes from the CBC write up about the story.

Music channels on Sirius Canada's lineup will include U.K. music from BBC Radio 1, Stephen Van Zandt's Underground Garage, Jimmy Buffet's Radio Margaritaville and Eminem's Shade 45.

Sports channels will include three dedicated play-by-play stations for NHL, NBA and NFL games as well as ESPN News.

News services include National Public Radio Now, Bloomberg Radio, CNN and BBC World News.

Martha Stewart Living Radio, Laugh Break, Maxim Radio and E! Entertainment Radio are among the other offerings.

Controversial but popular DJ Howard Stern, who joins Sirius Satellite Radio in the U.S. in January, will not be in the initial Canadian lineup, according to Sirius Canada.

Back in June when the CRTC first approved satellite radio in Canada, I wrote that a key difference between Canada and the USA would prevent Canada from ever hearing an uncensored Howard Stern radio show. Whereas the FCC in the United States doesn't police satellite radio the way they do terrestrial radio, the CRTC here treats them both the same. As I wrote back in June, this is bullshit. Adults will subscribe to the service and buy special hardware to receive the signal. Considering these facts, a subscriber would be well aware as to what kind of content they will be exposed to, which may or may not include a little "obscene or profane language".

At least this eliminates a decision I was due to make in approximately eight weeks.

Bitter? Bit Him Too
Published October 27, 2005 @ 08:25 in Howard Stern

Howard SternThe other day Infinity Broadcasting Corporation's chairman and CEO Joel Hollander hosted a conference call in which he announced who or what would be replacing Howard Stern in the mornings in their 27 markets. I've been listening to Howard Stern since his show first launched on Q107 and when they dumped him for John Derringer I found Howard on Buffalo's 92.9.

During this conference call, Hollander made the following statement about Stern's replacements on Infinity. "Twenty-four hours of farting and mental illness, you won't get that here." Somebody is either bitter or simply doesn't get it.

I don't listen to Stern to hear farting or to laugh at someone's mental illness. I'm not there every morning to hear lesbians or strippers either. Those who haven't listened or simply wish to denounce his show as immoral trash are quick to harp on these points as proof his show is guttural when in reality it's quite the opposite. I don't have the interest, time or patience to listen to a show like that, and Howard Stern's morning show isn't a show like that.

Howard is the great communicator of our time. The way he relates to his audience and tells stories drenched in honesty and full of integrity is unmatched. A great deal is quite funny, but the show is at its best when it's simply Howard riffing, spontaneously talking with us. It's absolutely compelling and it has nothing to do with "farting and mental illness".

They can fill his morning time slots with the likes of Adam Carolla and David Lee Roth, but they can't replace Howard Stern. I've never heard anyone like him and I strongly doubt there's another Howard Stern out there. With Stern's 27 Infinity stations expected to lose $100 million in revenue without him and with only five per cent of his estimated 12 million listeners planning to stick with his ex-stations once he leaves for Sirius, I suppose you can't blame Hollander for being bitter.

Rest in Peace
Published August 10, 2005 @ 20:15 in Howard Stern, Rest In Peace

In MemoriumMatthew McGrory was 32. He was the deep-voiced 7-foot-plus actor who moved from appearances on Howard Stern's radio show to a high-profile role as a gentle giant in the movie "Big Fish."

As a fan of Stern's morning show, I was well aware of Big Foot, but "Big Fish" earned him a special place in my heart. That movie really struck a nerve with me, in a very, very good way. I can watch it over and over again and be deeply affected each and every time. Big Foot was Karl the Giant, and he was befriended by a young Ed Bloom. It was an exceptional performance and one that I will never forget.

The CRTC Approves Satellite Radio...Sort Of
Published June 16, 2005 @ 20:44 in Howard Stern, My 2 Cents

Howard SternI love the idea of satellite radio. Dozens and dozens of stations for every taste, sounding great and without the inane commercials. Furthermore, Howard Stern is heading that way at the end of the year and I've been a big fan for a decade now.

Today, the CRTC made their landmark decision and approved satellite radio. This is good news, but read the decision and you'll find the following paragraph under "Adherence to the Regulations and Industry Codes".

The Commission notes that both CSR and Sirius Canada committed to be accountable for the content of the programming contained on all Canadian and non-Canadian channels distributed by their undertakings. In this regard, the applicants have undertaken not to broadcast anything in contravention of the law, any abusive comment, or any obscene or profane language. CSR and Sirius Canada have also committed to adhere to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming, and CSR has further committed to abide by the CAB's Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children. Accordingly, the Commission has imposed conditions of licence requiring adherence to the relevant sections of the Radio Regulations, and to the aforementioned codes. The Commission notes that both applicants committed to take whatever action is necessary to ensure adherence to the regulations and codes including, if necessary, the removal of a channel from their program offerings.

It appears as if the content on satellite radio will be regulated the same as it is currently on terrestrial radio. In the United States, Howard Stern's jump was to avoid the FCC as satellite radio there is essentially a safe haven for explicit content and language. Up here, it doesn't sound like that's the case which means the new Sirius radio Howard Stern show can't air here uncensored. Canadian subscribers to the Sirius/CBC offering won't hear the Howard Stern show that airs in the United States, if we hear it at all.

Satellite radio will be a paid service. Adults will subscribe to the service and buy special hardware to receive the signal. Considering these facts, a subscriber would be well aware as to what kind of content they will be exposed to, which may or may not include a little "obscene or profane language". We're big boys and girls, I'm pretty sure we can censor the content ourselves. The CRTC has over extended their bounds, grossly encroaching upon our freedom to subscribe to satellite radio and hear an F-bomb or two.

Stern On Letterman
Published November 16, 2004 @ 15:32 in Howard Stern

Stern On LettermanHoward Stern will be appearing on the Late Show With David Letterman on Thursday night in an effort to communicate with his fans about his move to SIRIUS. His current employers have an understandable issue with him using their airwaves to essentially advertise for the competition.

I'm setting my VCR.

Satellite Radio
Published October 6, 2004 @ 10:25 in Howard Stern

Satellite RadioHoward Stern is moving to satellite radio. He's inked a five-year deal with Sirius Satellite Radio beginning January 2006.

On the one hand, I think it would be wonderful to hear Howard Stern's show uncensored. Satellite will free Stern from the shackles of the FCC. Having said that, this will drastically effect my morning routine. For the past several years I've spent a great deal of my morning listening to Howard Stern, first on Q107 and now on WBUF out of Buffalo. Satellite radio requires a monthly subscription and special components. Unless my financial situation changes, it's unlikely I'll splurge for a new car audio system just to heard Howard. Sure, I could stream it over the web, but would I fork over the $15 or so a month for the privilege?

The CRTC hasn't even licensed satellite radio in Canada yet. One of the applications is from CBC/Radio-Canada and Standard Radio Inc., in partnership with Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. Should this application be accepted, Canadians will be permitted to enjoy uncensored Stern via satellite radio.

I've been anticipating this move for months and now it's official. I suspect Howard will excel on satellite and easily double their existing 600,000 listeners. In fact, I'll bet he triples it. He's that good.

John's Job
Published July 5, 2004 @ 11:39 in Howard Stern

John's JobHoward Stern held a contest to see who would get Stuttering John's job. Several John-wannabees tried out and fans voted for their preferred replacement. Richard Christy, a part-time drummer and part-time electrician got the gig.

Just when it looked like Howard's days were numbered with Infinity following Clear Channel's decision to drop Howard in six markets, his show has begun to thrive under the scrutiny and now appears stronger than ever. Just last week Infinity announced it would add nine markets on July 19th. He returns to the air in Rochester, N.Y., Orlando, San Diego, and Pittsburgh; new markets are Houston and Austin, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Fla., and Fresno.

John Kerry will never publicly admit it, but Howard Stern is right up there with Michael Moore as far as allies are concerned. Howard has been very out spoken with his anti-Dubya views and that's only made his show that much more compelling. So long as he's on in Buffalo, I'll be listening.

Cross & Lopez
Published April 1, 2004 @ 08:52 in Howard Stern, Radio

Cross & LopezI got in my car this morning and started channel surfing as is my usual routine. I heard the 07:00 news, a great tune from Broken Social Scene and then switched to 92.9 to hear what Howard Stern was up to. The voices eminating from WBUF did not belong to Howard, Robin or Artie but a couple of perky deejays going by the names Cross & Lopez.

Cross & Lopez were everything I hate about radio. They were 100% pure American cheese playing top 40 music from Britney and the gang. It was garbage, it was boring and it was an April Fool's joke.

Apparently, the station's general manager opened this morning's broadcast by reading a statement that Infinity Broadcasting had parted ways with Howard Stern following pressure from the FCC and Cross & Lopez was the "fun without the filth". A lot of people bought it hook, line and sinker. I thought it was a good wake-up call for people. This exact scenario could play itself out in the not too distant future if the FCC and Congress get their way. The sanitization of the public airwaves has already begun. Get used to Cross & Lopez, they may become the only voices heard on the radio.

The Sacrificial Lamb
Published February 26, 2004 @ 11:41 in Howard Stern, My 2 Cents

The Sacrificial LambClear Channel Radio has suspended broadcasts of the Howard Stern show on its six stations that carry it, citing sexually graphic content from Tuesday's broadcast.

I listened to the bit on Tuesday that Clear Channel Radio objected to. It was an interview with Rick Salomon, the guy in the infamous Paris Hilton sex tape. I heard the entire interview and it was absolutely nothing more than I've heard a hundred times on Howard Stern's show. What exactly did Clear Channel Radio think they were airing when they aired the Howard Stern show? With Stern you know exactly what you're going to get and some of it involves sexually explicit content. The word that broke the camel's back according to Clear Channel Radio Chief Executive John Hogan was a caller's use of the N word. As Stern said this morning, "A caller used the N word, and I hung up on him." Please.

Unfortunately, Stern's radio show airs on American stations (I listen on a station from Buffalo) and must adhere to the Federal Communications Commission's interpretation of what is indecent and inappropriate for airing between the hours of 06:00 and 20:00. Stern doesn't have a prayer. The FCC has always been tough but ever since Janet Jackson exposed her breast during halftime of the Super Bowl they've been looking for a sacrificial lamb. It appears as if Howard Stern will be that lamb.

Stuttering John Leaves Stern
Published February 19, 2004 @ 12:04 in Howard Stern

Stuttering John Leaves SternI must admit, I didn't see this one coming.

Stuttering John Melendez, long time bit player on the Howard Stern Show, has left to pursue a job with "The Tonight Show". He's going to replace Edd Hall as the announcer of all things.

I must admit I still enjoy Howard Stern's radio show. I pick it up clearly from 92.9 WBUF in Buffalo and I've been listening for over five years now. Stuttering John, who's been on the show for 15 years, added something special. He will be missed.



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