Howard Stern suspended from Clear Channel stations

Forbes ^ | 2-25-04

[Indy Pendance]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shock jock Howard Stern's show was yanked Wednesday from Clear Channel Communications Inc. radio stations after an incident on his show 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 though it was not immediately clear how many aired his show.

Stern's show is syndicated by a unit of Viacom Inc.

[Dianna]

Yes, there are millions of people in this nation who want to cede their rights to the government, whether those rights involve speech, guns, or privacy.

People contacted the FCC because that is it's job. If there were no FCC, they would have called advertisers and station owners instead. Same result.

[Keeper of the Turf]

Stern went anti-Bush because of the censorship issue.

It's nice to see what Howard thinks is the real problem facing this country.

[NYCVirago]

Al DID NOT RUN against Clinton. Get your facts straight.

Um, where did you get the idea I said that? Here's what I wrote:

Yeah, he did a lot to re-elect his buddy Senator Al D'Amato, didn't he? Oh yeah, D'Amato *lost* that race, and we're stuck with Senator Schumer!

I'm not the one who needs to gets my facts straight, Destro.

[Destro]

I think it was fear of the FCC ...but... just to throw a curve ball -- Opie and Anthony's Infinity contract and hence exile is due to expire in a month or two. Could Infinity's rival Clear Channel be using this as an excuse to dump Stern and give Opie and Anthony those time slots?

[cyborg]

I was confused till Howard brought it right down to my level... the Justice League analogy *LOL*

[Destro]

Misread which Senator you mentioned, Viagra.

[NYCVirago]

Stern was PRO BUSH. So much so that Al Franken attacked him in his book along with Ann Coulter. It is funny that Clear Channel - banner of the Dixie Chicks and linked to Bush - would drop Stern as soon as he went anti-Bush - and Stern went anti-Bush because of the censorship issue. Stern was pro Iraq war and praised Bush nonstop on the war on terror.

Howard Stern was fined millions by the FCC when Clinton was president -- it didn't stop him from supporting Clinton!

[Destro]

Justice League analogy is my level too - but I missed what he said.

[Destro]

Stern did not support Clinton at the time of the fine.

[NYCVirago]

Misread which Senator you mentioned, Viagra.

You misquoted me, and insulted me to boot. Then, when I correct you for your comment, not only don't you apologize, but you insult me again. Where did you get your debating skills -- listening to Howard Stern?

[NYCVirago]

Stern did not support Clinton at the time of the fine.

He endorsed him in 1996, which was after the fines happened.

[cyborg]

God must be hiding somewhere in the Google servers...

Howard took another call from a guy who was saying that Howard has become what he used to ''rile'' against. Howard told the guy that the word ''rile'' doesn't exist and it's ''rail.'' The guy said Howard has become Kelsey Grammer. Howard defended himself and went off on the guy for a minute before Howard hung up on the guy. Howard took a couple more phone calls and let some people ask some other questions. One guy said he watched some PBS special about how the Iraq war has come about so they spent a minute on that. Howard also brought up the French and how they've turned on us. Howard said we allow them to pretend that they're a world power and give their views but they're really just a ''third rate country.'' He said we've given them so much respect over the years and they don't even have the backbone to back us up. Howard and Robin argued about that a little bit. Howard said that China has emerged as a world power unlike France. Robin said that China isn't much better than Iraq though. Howard then used a comic book analogy to describe the world. He said you have Superman, Aquaman and The Flash sitting in the Justice League of America. He said suddenly Superman turns to the others and says they need King of All Blacks in the group. Howard said they let him in to make him feel good. Aquaman then wonders why he lets him in. 50 years later King of All Black is mouthing off telling them they're a bunch of asses and they're wrong about stuff they're doing. The super heroes don't know why he's giving them a hard time because he's got no powers. He's fat, not in shape and can't fight. Then Flash and Aquaman tell Superman what he's done. Howard said King is France in that analogy. Howard said that our country is a super power along with China and England. Howard went through the whole concept with everyone. Howard said just because a country has nuclear weapons, that doesn't make them a super power. He said France, Germany and India aren't super powers. Howard said Egypt isn't a power either and Rhode Island is more of a power. He said that Superman is the United States in that analogy he used. England would be Batman. He said they don't have any powers but they have the ability to use their brains. Howard said Iraq would be The Riddler and Superman could kick his ass. He also said that France is Carrot Top. Robin and Howard went over a couple of other things about the war and about World War II. They also argued about some superhero comic book characters. Robin said that Atom didn't belong in the Justice League of America. Howard said that's no true and he did belong on there. Howard and Robin argues about Wonder Woman and whether or not she belonged in that group. Howard said she did. Artie said she had a super power of ''a vagina.'' After doing that for a few minutes Howard took another break before getting to Robin's news.

[dead]

People contacted the FCC because that is it's job.

It shouldn’t be their job, that’s my point.

If you want to make the case that the FCC should even exist in the first place, you might find the constitutional justification for their existence under the commerce clause. They should regulate the signal strength of stations to ensure that business can be successfully conducted over the airwaves.

The control of content should be strictly a matter for the markets. If a station fails to deliver the content the public wants to hear, any member of the public is free to try another station. The market will develop enough stations that the majority of the people will find what they are looking for.

If you happen to be in the small minority that doesn’t agree with anything the multitude of stations are offering, you are free to throw your radio out the window and buy a book or get a hobby.

Government enforced content is the hallmark of a facist state, not a free state. And I want to live in a free state.

[Revel]

Pataki is definately a Rhino of the purist kind.

[Destro]

Goddman that made me laugh.

[Destro]

I misread your tag and it's almost 1 am :)

[cyborg]

I met Stuttering John once. He's looney and reminded me of those men that rub up women in crowded trains *lol*

[hchutch]

Well, the FCC has started to breathe down his throat, and top be very honest, the culture warriors have done their best to drive folks like him away from the coalition.

Howard has endorsed Republicans in the past. PJ-Comix, in fact, can tell how Howard helped Pataki WIN in `94.

[Dianna]

The public has the ultimate veto over what they see or don't see- don't buy a television.

Good idea, people don't need radios either. Just rely upon good old newspapers for your news. Well, until they find out sex and perversion sells too. Then I suppose I'll have to lock myself in a closet.

The problem, as I see it, is how to allow maximum freedom of all expression without forcing people to live in closets to avoid crap. Do you agree?

I'd be happy with making it a person by person vote. Do you want sexual content on tv at any time of the day or night? If I am outvoted, then ok, I'll live in a sewer and accept it.

The basic premise I hold true is that MOST people don't want sexual content on their radios or tv's during day time, family hours. It happens, and people say nothing and change the channel. So it continues. I'm done changing the channel. Now the issue is up for discussion, isn't it?

Let's hear from the people.

[Indie]

How many children are wondering around FM radio in the morning on weekdays?

If I really need to explain all the different ways a child can be hearing FM radio in the morning on a weekday, then you won't get it anyway.