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.

[larlaw]

I agree..what is next?

I am a huge Howard Stern fan...listened to him since I was in high school when he was on WNBC out of New York. I agree with many posters that he has lost his edge a bit since his divorce, turning into one of the very types of celebrities he always lampooned (eating at Nobu, going to the Hamptons, etc.). However, I think his show is still very funny, albeit uneven.

That being said, the dispute is not over ClearChannel's RIGHT to axe the Stern show...as a private company they certainly can do so. The concern is that they exercised that right in direct response to pressure from the F.C.C. and fear that they would be fined, punished, or potentially lose their license to broadcast (Howard's show is no more "indecent" now than it was pre-Janet Jackson's breast baring). As such, the real issue is whether we want to live in a country where the government can intimidate private broadcasters into censoring what they air. Yes, the issue here is alleged "indecency". However, there are no clearly defined or agreed upon parameters for what constitutes indecency. In my view, as conservatives we should err on the side of the text of the Constitution and support Freedom of Speech.

As previously suggested, the more important principle involved is that if the F.C.C. can pressure broadcasters into dropping Howard Stern, how much longer before the F.C.C. under a Hilary Clinton administration intimidates broadcasters into dropping Rush Limbaugh - for "homophobia" (Rush opposes gay marriages) or "racism" (He opposes quotas)? If John Kerry or Hilary Clinton becomes President, it does NOT seem that far-fetched to me.

In sum, for those who do not like Howard or his show, they can simply TURN THE DIAL - this is America.

[Lion in Winter]

Clear Channel is NOT the government or their agent. They are using their business judgement to "fire" or "drop" Howard Stern from their business. IF they get enough complaints... they can fire anybody they chose.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. Howard's tune turned TOO SOUR! So, bye-bye, howie!!

If I had made my employers mad, you can bet they would have fired me.

Too bad poor Howard will take this out on George Bush... but that figures... Howard is a liberal after all... maybe he will endorse John f'ing Kerry!!

[My Dog Likes Me]

I agree. I listened to him for several years when I lived up North, and he was initally funny with his comments on politics, popular culture, and current events.

But then morning after morning it became a parade of degenerate guests in the studio with Howard saying "Take your top off..." Just creepy.

[leadpenny]

Try Imus, at least he talks to people without treating them like crap.

So true. It will be interesting to see what he has to say this morning. Stern and Imus are professional enemies but he will defend him. Stern is for kids and Imus is for adults.

Free Speech is messy. No one should be applauding this, imo.

[prisoner6]

Oooo....what's that smell? Could it be the odor of PR?

prisoner6

[Robert_Paulson2]

and it will also be...
too late.

[wtc911]

The airwaves belong to the public. Conservatives bemoan the degradation of American culture, not liberals. Check yourself. Stern's intentional style goes way beyond "potty".

[raybbr]

Free Speech is messy. No one should be applauding this...

What does free speach have to do with this? His employer is taking him off the air not the government.

[WhiteGuy]

OK, You didn't reead my original post, here it is.

---

"Congress is considering increasing the maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000, a move that the Federal Communications Commission endorsed"


I guess Freedom of Speech is a thing of the past.........

---

Your rant does not address this point.

[raybbr]

What's the government go to do with this? His employer is taking him off the air.

[raybbr]

The government is not taking him off the air, his employer is.

[WhiteGuy]

Yeah,

Read my post next time before responding.

---

"Congress is considering increasing the maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000, a move that the Federal Communications Commission endorsed"


I guess Freedom of Speech is a thing of the past......

---

[WhiteGuy]

You're an idiot.

My goodness, what a substantive argument.

You're going to have to do better than that.

[WhiteGuy]

Either you believe in freedom of speech or you don't.

[leadpenny]

Don't think for a moment that this pressure is not coming from the FCC. Last time I looked, the FCC is part of the government.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Too bad poor Howard will take this out on George Bush... but that figures... Howard is a liberal after all... maybe he will endorse John f'ing Kerry!!

He spent the first hour of yesterday's show doing just that BEFORE the incident.

[Junior]

...the beginning of a return to some semblence of decency in America.

Be careful what you wish for. A lot of liberals have been successful in tarring conservative speech with the "hate" brush and and in claiming it's offensive. The way things are going (and evidently you think it's a good thing), conservative voices will soon be silenced under the same rules used to silence Stern.

[garbanzo]

Your post hasn't been deleted. I'm not the one who's glad that a program that many people enjoy has been pulled off the air because of political pressure in a country that ostensibly protects freedom of speech.

[The Mayor]

good!

[OldFriend]

So you thought Janet Jackson Super Bowl behaviour was just fine and we were all acting like liberals by complaining. After all lots of folks enjoyed seeing Jackson's boob.

The lack of consistency is beginning to look a lot like intellectual dishonesty. Just take a look at the threads on The Passion and see who is demanding that no criticizing be allowed. Seems a lot of freepers have taken flip flop pills these days.

No to Viacom

Yes to Howard Stern