Posted on 12/16/2005 4:19:04 AM PST by Momaw Nadon
NEW YORK - The free ride for Howard Stern fans ends Friday. Stern, a New York radio fixture for 20 years and host of a syndicated show for 12 million daily listeners, bids farewell to his fans with a final show on terrestrial radio. On Jan. 9, Stern makes his move to satellite radio — where his once-free speech will cost listeners $12.95 a month.
Stern, no surprise, will not leave quietly. He's scheduled a two-hour party in midtown Manhattan to say goodbye to his loyal listeners. And he plans to deliver an address to fans on his final show, finishing up a quarter-century on terrestrial radio as arguably its most influential figure.
Stern leaves behind a plethora of imitators spawned in the wake of his success, when his show enjoyed an unprecedented ratings run to hit No. 1 in New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Los Angeles.
His move to Sirius Satellite Radio, while somewhat risky, comes with a huge financial reward: Stern signed a five-year, $500 million contract to create two new channels for Sirius. The salaries, overhead and other programming costs come out of his windfall.
During his career, Stern evolved into the center of attention in First Amendment issues and censorship. Infinity Broadcasting paid $1.7 million in 1995 to settle complaints by the Federal Communications Commission against Stern. In April 2004, Clear Channel dumped Stern from six stations because of his show's content.
Sirius is depending on Stern to reverse its money-losing ways. Since the 51-year-old shock jock announced his move last year, the number of Sirius subscribers jumped from 600,000 to more than 2.2 million. That figure is expected to hit 3 million by the end of the year.
Darn, I have XM, so now I won't be able to listen to Howie...
He's trying to have a conversation with you. Why don't you got to bed? It's almost 3:00am.
I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were the official spokesperson for the whole country.
But you don't get the show every day...
...and then if that wasn't bad enough, to listen to the political stupidity, was just too much. Give me Mike Church, Rush, Rusty Humphries, Michael Savage, Laura Ingram, Michael Medved, anyone but Howard or, if your radio sounds funny in the morning your listening to Imus in the morning.
It's the fact that he's just taken things too far on tv and radio.
If you want to be on tv and say that stuff, you can't do it on channels that kids can just turn to. If you want to squeeze some woman's breasts on the radio and explain them to the listening audience, free radio is not your venue. It's not rocket science.
The man has just gone over the top. It fits his personality. No limitations, no discipline.
> He's trying to have a conversation with you. Why don't you got to bed? It's almost 3:00am.
(grin!) I've been keeping weird hours lately. You're right, a glance at the clock tells me it's time for shut-eye.
Cheers mate!
Actually, these anti-Stern people ought to be happy. Howard is leaving the public airwaves and now you have to pay $10 a month for the privilege. So they no longer have to worry about being exposed to his show. And if Howard can attract enough listeners to justify his $500 million contract (Wow!), all the power to him.
Penthouse magizine had the sagacity to understand that they would be nothing if the world ever moved to the Penthouse view of sex.
My money is on Stern tanking when he no longer has the impedence or the bias, if you will, of the blue nosed world.
His REAL talent (which he and those around him seem unaware of)is in being a combination of Jack Benny and Johnny Carson. Stern at his funniest was always as a familiar moderator between two or more guests. Back in the day I'd heard him do entire shows which could have aired late night back in, say the late '60'S or later.
His two problems: He WILL go too far because he will be acting without any restraint, And: he being, intellectually an adolescent---a VERY YOUNG adolescent at that isn't innately funny.
Cheers!
I too think Stern's over the top, and can only tolerate him in tiny doses if at all. However, militant Muslims being offended is not a reason to muzzle anyone. If the militant Muslims don't like Stern, they can ignore him, just like many of the other members of FR do. Nothing we do gives militant Muslims the moral justification to kill, enslave, or forcibly convert us, or to seek to destroy our way of life. I don't live my life in fear of what militant Muslims think, and Stern shouldn't, either.
Darn, I have XM, so now I won't be able to listen to Howie...
Hey Howie, have fun with the Pests this morning. Probably be more Opie & Anthony fans harassing Stern then Stern fans at the walk of shame this morning.
Opie & Anthony, XM 202 - High voltage. More Gooder.
... And yes I know my behavior is juvenile. Thank you for pointing that out.
Good riddance. He's a has-been, anyway.
Yeah, 12 million of them. And fuzzycat owns 10000 shares of SIRI.
I seriously doubt most of those who subscribed to Sirius did so because of Stern. I know a lot of people who have subscribed in the past few months and not one of them is interested in Stern. To recoup their 500 million, sirius has to gain about half a million subscribers, and hold them for 5 years just on the basis of Stern. I think that is unlikely. It doesn't make economic sense, particularly since once he has no boundaries he will probably not be as compelling as he was to his audience on commercial radio.
Sirius is not dropping Fox News to make room for Stern. They are in negotiatons with Fox over the money Fox wants.
Besides, is there anything on Fox worth listening to anymore other than Brit Hume? I don't think so. Fox has turned into tabloid TV.
I predict Stern will be a flop on satellite. Part of the lure of his show was that he pushed the envelope. Now there is no envelope to push.
Yes, but when will he bid farewell to this earth and assume his hand-stand position in hell?
Well, he's certainly not "off of it", and in the radio world, he's on top. There's no one in the 'comedy' world of radio who is any better, IMO. Satellite radio is awesome and I think it will be the next 'big' thing; the only thing eventually in terms of radio offerings.
Personally, there's parts of Howards show I'll listen to, and some I tune out. I still think he's the best interviewer I've ever heard, and one of the most honest and open people ever on radio.
I look forward to having his show be an option on my Sirius radio.
Terrestrial radio is really bad; has been for a awhile. Except for John and Ken in Los Angeles. Stern was entertaining. I haven't heard anyone as entertaining as Howard since he and his zany crew arrived in L.A. radio.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.