Howard was SCREAMING about the sudden heart attack or lung problem or something that apparently a fellow talk show host was suffering from that day. The news was fresh and Howard was screaming that he hoped the man would die. I thought it was absolutely in bad taste and never listened again. I now know that he was ranting over Don Imus's illness.
I don't remember Howard getting fired for screaming that he hoped another person would DIE from his life-threatening illness.
I don't listen to Savage but I do think that one must be consistent. The above incident was even less provoked than it appears the Savage rant was.