[joesbucks]

Radio station giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. said on Wednesday it was dumping nationally syndicated shock jock Howard Stern from its stations under a new "zero tolerance" policy toward indecency. The Stern show was carried by Clear Channel stations in six markets -- Fort Lauderdale, Rochester, Orlando, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Louisville.

I would like to start a Freeper Watch of those markets to see if Clear Channel stands by it's new found principals or if they relent and return Howard to the air after the furor dies down. Please watch for him to return to the market on other stations as CC is sometimes famous for shuffling formats on stations owned in their clusters to create market chatter.

[prisoner6]

Persoanlly I think the shole thing stinks of PR. Or maybe there's some legal problem CC is knotted up about, so they're having him cool it for a couple of days.

AFAIK he's off the air this morning in Pittsburgh. I listened in and didn't hear him. Then again I never listen to him...not even sure I tuned the correct station.

prisoner6

[FierceDraka]

Stern's show sucks.

There. I said it.

When I was living in Florida, I'd listen to him on my way to work. Well, the ten minutes of show that they'd have in between 20 minute commercial breaks, anyway.

Then one day, during one of the above-mentioned 20 minute commercial breaks, I started flipping through the dial, and I heard the distinctive laughs of Bob Kevoian, Tom Griswald, and Chick McGee! The Bob and Tom Show had just been picked up in Ft Myers, and (with me being an Indianapolis native) I never bothered with Stern again.

[Dane]

Actually Stern's program is syndicated by Clear Channel's main competitior, Viacom.

This may be the excuse they were looking for to get out of those contracts for those CC stations, since I think the majority of those 6 stations were carrying Stern before CC bought them up in the late 90's.

Anyway I never liked Stern and listened to his radio show for a couple of minutes and caught a couple of snippets from hsi cable show. JMO, but I think his picture should be the definition of the term arrested development.

[tm22721]

XM is becoming the venue of choice anyway.

The same thing happened to broadcast TV when cable and satellite came online (viewership dropped to 15%).

Too many FM stations, too many commericals, too much pandering to the lowest common denominator. And now too much censorship.

BUMP

[Extremist]

I listened to part of Tuesday's Stern show but bailed when he went on yet another tirade about the FCC and Bush, saying he'd do anything in his power to get Bush out of office. It is said that other comments he made on that same day's show caused CC to yank him. Sometimes irony can be fun.

[dave981]

I especially enjoy the reactions from some of his supporters that are contending this is a "violation of Sterns Freedom of speech". Over at Fox News they have this article citing Chaunce Hayden a "a celebrity journalist and past guest of the radio program".

He said Clear Channel's actions against Stern are "quite frightening." "It is 100 percent a freedom of speech issue," he told Fox News on Thursday, acknowledging that the show sometimes does "go too far."

I love how the "Freedom of Speech" is supposed to trump everything. How about Freedom of assembly/association? Freedom of commerce? The freedom to enter into contracts, and to break contracts when rules are violated?

Then he goes on: But he said, "that's what the show is. You don't have to watch the show. You can turn the dial...You have a choice...How can government take choice away from us?"

If you wanted choice, get XM - Stern is on the PUBLIC airwaves, hence there are rules surrounding what is allowed to be said.

[Poodlebrain]

I think you are correct. It will be interesting to see what programming Clear Channel replaces Stern with in those markets, and how their ratings will be impacted. Buying a syndicated show from your principal rival must have been embarrassing to Clear Channel, and this gives them a plausible out claiming the moral high ground.

Clear Channel better have some solid programming to replace Stern, or they will certainly take a substantial financial blow from this decision.