Clear Channel pulls Howard Stern show off radio

Yahoo ^ | Wednesday 25 February 2004 | Reuters via Yahoooooo!

[BigSkyFreeper]

LOS ANGELES, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Shock jock Howard Stern's show was yanked on Wednesday from Clear Channel Communications Inc. (NYSE:CCU - News) radio stations after an incident on his show on Tuesday, the first casualty of its zero tolerance policy on indecency.

"It was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency," Clear Channel Radio Chief Executive John Hogan said in a statement.

"We will not air Howard Stern on Clear Channel stations until we are assured that his show will conform to acceptable standards of responsible broadcasting," he said.

Clear Channel has about 1,200 stations in the United States. The Stern show was carried in six markets, including Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida; Rochester, New York; Louisville, Kentucky; San Diego, and Pittsburgh.

Stern's show is syndicated by Infinity Broadcasting, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIAb - News)

A spokesmen for Infinity was not immediately available for comment and a Viacom spokesman declined comment.

Neither Stern's agent, nor producers for his New York-based radio program could be immediately reached for comment.

"We have a legal obligation to reject programming that's inappropriate for the airwaves, irrespective of any contractual relationship," a Clear Channel spokesman said.

[billorites]

Bad week for Howard.

First, Jay Leno steals Stuttering John.

Now this.

[billorites]

Plus, very unflattering portrayal of Howard in that Mel Gibson movie.

[Antoninus]

I suspect this has something to do with Stern's ratings being where his humor normally is--in the toilet.

[EUPHORIC]

GOOD. Stern is a filthy guttural relic who has been spreading his filth far and wide for far far too long.

Hope he stays off the air too.

[billorites]

"Is this the way you answer the high priest?"

[Rhiannon]

What did Howard do? Finaaly he gets kick off the air. He has been obnoxious for years. I would liketo know what he finally did that kicked the bucket.

[billhilly]

This has happened before. Howard Cosell, Earl Butts, Jimmie Snyder, Rush Limbaugh, Ken Hamblin........

[billorites]

"What did Howard do?"

Janet Jackson flashed her breast. That's what Howard did.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I guess Clear Channel has an ultimatum that if he can keep his nose clean long enough, they'll put him back on. Should be interesting to see just how long this lasts. I hope a long time. I listened to him when I visited my brother in Phoenix back in 1997. I gave him a chance, listened to the entire show for one day, and haven't bothered since. Don't get me wrong, I had an inkling about what I was in for, but that show is just over the top no matter what.

[NYCVirago]

"It was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency," Clear Channel Radio Chief Executive John Hogan said in a statement.

It would be nice if the reporter would bother to describe what this incident was that prompted getting Stern taken off the air!

[BigSkyFreeper]

Janet Jackson flashed her breast. That's what Howard did.

Figures.

[JennysCool]

Howard probably deserved it, but I hope this isn't a sign that, in the interest of getting more decency, we just get more p.c.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I happend to catch a Jay Leno ad over the weekend. That was a shock! I didn't know Leno stole Stuttering John, I figured there was a falling out with Howard or something.

[NYCVirago]

While I was looking on a Stern fansite to find out what the offending incident was, I found this description of one of Howard's other rants:

One listener asked Howard what we can do to get rid of the FCC problem. Howard said that the first thing we have to do is get rid of George W. Bush. He said we have to write to their congressmen and senators about how sick we are of the censorship in this country. Howard also suggested that if people don't want this stuff on their radios and TVs then they should get rid of their TV. He said that no one forced anyone to buy a TV.

So much for Howard being a Bush supporter, as several freepers have claimed.

[billorites]

"I figured there was a falling out with Howard or something."

No, he's going to make $500,000 a year as Leno's announcer.

[BigSkyFreeper]

That's what I figure. He'll show up somewhere else and start badmouthing Clear Channel, he's predictable. Something like what he did when he was hit with a million dollar fine, he was badmouthing his boss and taking swipes at the FCC. I remember it well, Imus was trashing Howard when it happend.

[TASMANIANRED]

Howard needs to broadcast from a pig sty in hell.

[BunnySlippers]

It had to do with black women / sex / watermelons. I can understand why it was not repeated.