After Being Yanked by Clear Channel, Howard Stern Predicts His Broadcast Demise

AP ^ | Mar. 6, 2004

[nuconvert]

After Being Yanked by Clear Channel, Howard Stern Predicts His Broadcast Demise

Mar 6, 2004

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Shock jock and self-proclaimed "King of All Media" Howard Stern believes his reign on the radio is coming to an end. "The show is over," he announced Friday morning on his nationally syndicated radio program. "It's over."

It's not - at least not yet. But Stern predicted that a Federal Communications Communication crackdown on indecency on the airwaves will force his salacious show off the dial.

"I'm guessing that sometime next week will be my last show on this station," said Stern, adding that he expected the FCC to hit him with a whopping indecency fine. "There's a cultural war going on. The religious right is winning. We're losing."

A telephone call to Infinity Broadcasting, which syndicates Stern's show, was not returned Saturday to discuss Stern's comments.

On Friday, Stern devoted the first 2 1/2 hours of his show to his anticipated demise, a change of pace from the usual fare of naked women and toilet humor.

Clear Channel Communications yanked Stern from stations in San Diego, Pittsburgh, Rochester, N.Y., Louisville, Ky., and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 25. The company said the suspension would last until the Stern show met its programming guidelines.

"This time they have to fire me," Stern said. "I'm through. I'm a dead man walking."

On Thursday, Clear Channel paid a record $755,000 fine levied last month by the FCC for indecent material aired by several of its stations

[nuconvert]

Oh Good!

That headline made my day

[demlosers]

"This time they have to fire me," Stern said. "I'm through. I'm a dead man walking."

Then make an honest living like working at Burger King.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

He's also saying he's going to go to satellite radio according to the website that tracks what he says daily (marksfriggin.com).

[stevem]

How many installments of this going out of business sale may we expect?

[onyx]

Howard Stern is a colossal creep.

[Cathryn Crawford]

That's too bad.

[FITZ]

He's just being quite the drama-queen. He can move his show to subscription channels --- his listeners can tune in there --- nothing guarantees anyone a spot on public airwaves.

[AmishDude]

Ba Ba Booey!

[Marylander]

I will miss Martha, but I won't miss Howard.

[Hildy]

This could be the best thing that happens to Stern...without his show they'll be no more bimbos stroking his ego (and other parts), maybe he'll realize what an ass he's been and beg his wife's forgiveness and regain the respect of his children. They're girls, aren't they? How would you like to be a young girl and have Howard Stern as your Father. Talk about creepy.

[Austin Willard Wright]

The "public" airwaves eh? Do you also support "public" ownership of newspapers too? I'm almost afraid to hear the answer. By the way, public is just a pretty word for government and politicians.

[squidly]

If he wants to blame somebody, he should blame Janet and Justin. They were the straw.

[thegreatbeast]

Boohoohu!

[FITZ]

Why doesn't he just shut up and get his show on a subscription channel? There were FCC guidelines for public airwaves decades ago --- this is nothing new. That way normal people don't have to go through their house throwing away their radios --- even kids can listen to the radio if there are some standards.

[Salo]

I just hope some future administration doesn't decide to go after conservative talk radio this way under the guise of hate speech. I don't listen to Stern's show - it's a one-trick pony that got old a long time ago - but I don't like our already-too-big-and-powerful government shutting down radio shows, either. Thankfully, I am smart enough to operate my radio properly so I do not have to listen to Howard Stern.

I guess I should join the sheep: save me from that baaaaaad radio show.

[AmishDude]

save me from that baaaaaad radio show

The best lesson you can learn in life is: It isn't always about you.

[FITZ]

I don't get the newspaper in my home because of the ads for topless and nudie bars because I have kids in the home --- but the newspaper doesn't get thrown at my house if I don't pay for it. What I don't want is unsolicited porn being sent to my kids which is what the radio does --- otherwise you're saying I should rid my home of all radios if I don't want an 11 year old exposed to porn?

[randog]

You're exactly right--the dems are going to go after talk radio and other conservative media outlets as soon as they possibly can with a fervor unseen before. Pretty soon public media will have all the quality and excitement of public education.

[isthisnickcool]

I was channel surfing a few weeks back and saw Stern on his radio show on cable on E! He had two females nekkid with wooden sticks stuck in their, uh, their, "bottoms". The object was to toss rings from across the room and land them around the sticks.

If Stern is fired there may never be another "show" like the one I just described. Now wouldn't that be a great loss to Western civilization?