After Being Yanked by Clear Channel, Howard Stern Predicts His Broadcast Demise

AP ^ | Mar. 6, 2004

[nuconvert]

After Being Yanked by Clear Channel, Howard Stern Predicts His Broadcast Demise

Mar 6, 2004

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Shock jock and self-proclaimed "King of All Media" Howard Stern believes his reign on the radio is coming to an end. "The show is over," he announced Friday morning on his nationally syndicated radio program. "It's over."

It's not - at least not yet. But Stern predicted that a Federal Communications Communication crackdown on indecency on the airwaves will force his salacious show off the dial.

"I'm guessing that sometime next week will be my last show on this station," said Stern, adding that he expected the FCC to hit him with a whopping indecency fine. "There's a cultural war going on. The religious right is winning. We're losing."

A telephone call to Infinity Broadcasting, which syndicates Stern's show, was not returned Saturday to discuss Stern's comments.

On Friday, Stern devoted the first 2 1/2 hours of his show to his anticipated demise, a change of pace from the usual fare of naked women and toilet humor.

Clear Channel Communications yanked Stern from stations in San Diego, Pittsburgh, Rochester, N.Y., Louisville, Ky., and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 25. The company said the suspension would last until the Stern show met its programming guidelines.

"This time they have to fire me," Stern said. "I'm through. I'm a dead man walking."

On Thursday, Clear Channel paid a record $755,000 fine levied last month by the FCC for indecent material aired by several of its stations

[FITZ]

I know --- I wouldn't mind having CSPN, the news cable shows, Discovery and a couple others but since you can't just order the ones you want, I don't have cable at all --- never have. If they ever want my business they'll offer unbundled selections.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Huh? "Big public?" Are you referring to the fiction that something called the "public" owns anything. Some of us stopped beliving in that variety of utopian socialism some time ago.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Install some parent controls on your set and radio and stop using Uncle Sam to do your parenting duties.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Public property? You mean government property right?

[FITZ]

You do not have the right not to be offended.

That's not really the case anymore --- try calling someone a "fag" --- even on here. Try referring to women in the workplace as "honey" or "babe" or asking your co-workers out for dates and see how long you last, try acting like Stern in your workplace and you'll last even shorter --- the rest of us have restrictions placed on us all the time.

[FITZ]

That freedom does not include the right to use other people's private property for free expression and

That's true --- I might have 10 cheap radios in my home --- but I didn't buy them for pornography --- so why does pornography have to be on them --- there are easy ways for people who want televisions with porn to rent videos or buy cable that has porn. It makes a difference when something is solicited and when it's not --- just like telephones now allow you to block telemarketer calls. Another solution would be for anyone who chooses to block channels that offer Stern's show like we can block telemarketers.

[FITZ]

I guess that's the choice --- one side is forced to install parental controls on any and all their radios if they just want music and political shows or the other side can sign up for subscription porn services.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Congress shall make no law.....

What part of that don't you understand? If you want government to micromanage your viewing and listening habits (rather than take on that responsibility for yourself) then propose a constitutional amndment.

[Feiny]

The problem here with the Stern example is not porn or bad language. His show used a delay and got rid of the so-called 7 words you can't say on TV or radio for fear that we will implode upon hearing those 7 words. He abided by the rules....but the rules were changed. They kept changing their minds on what was offensive. It was arbitrary and still is....

[oceanview]

all rules, by their very nature, are arbitrary, because men make them. either we have "arbitrary" rules, or no rules at all.

[pointsal]

Howard Stern....okay this is reality, Howie.

[FITZ]

What about your right to call your co-workers "fag" or racist words --- or your right to talk like Stern to your female co-workers? YOu already don't have an absolute right to free speech.

[FITZ]

You don't even have a right any longer to start up a telemarketing business and dial up people's phones to do a free speech salespitch at them --- if they don't want their phones used for that, then you can't call them at all.

[Irene Adler]

"When you pay your cable bill every month to get Fox, cSpan, History Ch. etc, you are also being forced to support MTV 1, MTV 2, Howard Stern, and the rest of the video sewage programs pumped into our homes. Each of these porn-shows receive xx number of cents from our payment each month, just for also being included in the basic package. If the cable companies were forced to UN-bundle these trashy shows, and make them each stand or fall on their own merit, many if not most, of the porn-trash shows catering to teens & twentysomthings, would FAIL within 6mos."

I think I should get to order cable channels, channel-by-channel. I hate putting money in the pockets of those who create programming I feel is trash. Why should I have to pay for it when I never watch it and don't want it on my television?

[Austin Willard Wright]

No...but in a free society I have right to property rights and free association and thus employers should be perfectly free to fire such workers. Responsiblity and freedom stand and fall together. If one falls, so will the other.

[FreeReign]

Why not pursue satellite radio, cable TV, books, videos and movies so that you can watch whatever porn you want. Why do you need "big public" to do it for you?

Huh? "Big public?" Are you referring to the fiction that something called the "public" owns anything. Some of us stopped beliving in that variety of utopian socialism some time ago.

Public property? You mean government property right?

Yes public property is government property, thanks for making my point.

You're the one who believes that public property -- a.k.a government property -- should supply you a forum for pornography.

"Utopian socialism" IS public/government supplied pornography. Utopian Socialism is public/government supplied p*ss Christ.

Conversely, Freedom is freedom of expression on private satellite radio. Freedom is freedom of expression on private cable TV.

Freedom is not public subsidized, government subsidized expression on the public airwaves, except when it's political free speech.

You -- are a Utopian socialist.

[FreeReign]

[PJ-Comix]:Believe me, some future LIBERAL FCC will rule that Rush engages in "obscene Hate Speech" and yank him from the air. It is the fondest dream of liberals and they will use any excuse no matter how lame to get Rush off the airwaves. The door has already been opened with the persecution of Howard.

[NYCVirago]:Since when do liberals need precedents to do anything? Even if this didn't happen with Howard, the libs would still like to shut down Rush if they could get away with it.

Yes Virago, the liberals will do whatever they want regardless of precedent.

Heck, why don't we all just call off the next presidential election?

A liberal might be elected.

[FreeReign]

...just like telephones now allow you to block telemarketer calls.

Exactly.

[Feiny]

From the FCC website:

Expressions of views that do not involve a "clear and present danger of serious substantive evil" come under the protection of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The Communications Act prohibits the FCC from censoring broadcast material, in most cases, and from making any regulation that would interfere with freedom of speech. According to an FCC opinion on this subject, "the public interest is best served by permitting free expression of views." This principle ensures that the most diverse and opposing opinions will be expressed, even though some may be highly offensive. The Courts have said that indecent material is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution and cannot be banned entirely. Nonetheless, the FCC has taken numerous enforcement actions against broadcast stations for violations of the restrictions on broadcast indecency.

[oceanview]

reads fine to me, I see no absolute right to use of the public airwaves for ANY purpose. has the Supreme Court thrown out the indecency restrictions? because when they do, CBS can show full contact sex on broadcast television, and without the indencency restrictions, nothing could stop them.