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

[correctthought]

Somebody change that baby's diaper....

[Viking2002]

What do you wanna bet that when Stern sees the blade coming down on his neck, he'll try to break every FCC reg in the book in his last five minutes on the air? Go out with a bang, as it were.......

[Austin Willard Wright]

Just because a bunch of politicians nationalized the "public" airwaves back in the the 1920s doesn't make it right, Your newspaper analogy falls flat. Any kid can buy one by putting fifty cents in a machine.

In any case, we seem to have a philosophical difference. You trust politicians to "fine tune" the first amendment to "protect" us. I don't.

[Old Professer]

"There's a cultural war going on. The religious right is winning. We're losing."

Never take advice from someone who carries mice in his pockets.

[WhiteGuy]

First Amendment Bump!

KOAM Bump!

[FITZ]

If they ban Rush Limbaugh and he goes onto subscription channels --- then I could still listen --- there would still be free speech. If Stern stood on a corner and shouted racial insults and vulgar insults to everyone walking by --- that could be called free speech too.

[FITZ]

Are you saying Stern's show has quality and excitement?

[FITZ]

If I thought my kids would buy a newspaper when I give them 50 cents then I wouldn't give them the 50 cents --- but I know they'll buy candy. This doesn't limit any free speech --- because shows like Stern's can move to subscription channels, anyone who wants it can sign up. I think with radios automatically added to cars, alarm clocks, many are made to look like kids' toys, anything beamed at am/fm receivers doesn't need to be pornographic. I don't care if you want porn -- you can have it but what I don't want is unsolicited porn --- I wouldn't sign up with a subscription channel that offered Stern's show --- but it's fine with me if you do.

[CIBvet]

In the best Savage impression of Stern ...

"... so you're a lesbian, huuh? So whatta-ya-do ... anal? ... oral? ... oral-anal? .... ya do any anal-oral? How 'bout oral-anal-oral?"

What a talentless pathetic pig ... and to be a father to his young girls ... veerrry sad indeed.

[Cicero]

Stern is too big a money maker to vanish overnight. Some sleazeball media tycoon will pick him up.

[Ol' Sparky]

I hope Stern is right for once.

[Ol' Sparky]

Do you support porn movies on Saturday morning on broadcast TV or pornographic billboards on busy interstates?

[Central Scrutiniser]

I agree, I am not a fan of Clear Channel, they have done more to ruin talk radio than any host who may offend someone. I don't need any government head to protect me from being offended.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I drive nearly an hour to work every morning and listen(ed) to Stern nearly every day.

Since 9/11, and until Clear Channel suspended him, I never heard Stern say anything against the President In fact, I would repeatedly hear him say he supported the President, the war on terror and the need to capture Saddam.

So why would he have been suspended over "speaking out against" President Bush?

This smells of stunt to me.

[CIBvet]

AG Ashcroft needs to attack the cable companies for bundling their product, just as MicroSoft and IBM were hit for bundling their product.

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.

As it is now, American Moms and Dads are the ones paying/supporting the cable bill, and most, if given a clear choice, wouldn't choose to pay to have their children exposed to harmful, degenerate, programming.

Right now consumers don't have a choice to exclude the vulgar and evil from our living-rooms, if they want even the most basic package.

Having this video-sewage pumped into our homes 24/7 is absolutely destroying families and the nation we've been blessed to live in.

[Feiny]

I am totally shocked by the posts on this thread. Don't people on Free Republic support Free Speech. No one is forced to listen to Howard.

This is government infringing on Free Speech. Clear Channel removed him due to pressure and fines from the FCC. The FCC is run by 90 year old men with no sense of humor or respect for the Constitution. The only thing the FCC should be doing is making sure one station doesn't broadcast into some other stations range. They are now the arbitors of decency?

I am seeing Freepers applaud this action like idiots. That is the hypocrisy of the retarded right. We want less government....except when it comes to stuff we don't like. They want the government to pass laws against gays, stop Howard Stern and please oh please save us from naked people! We can't handle it....what a crock or crap.

Maybe some posters on this thread need to read the Constitution again. I am disgusted by the posts here today.

[Dane]

I am seeing Freepers applaud this action like idiots. That is the hypocrisy of the retarded right.

And the above is a mantra of an elitist Liberal/Libertarian.

Hey no one is stopping you from kissing Howards behind.

[CWOJackson]

Howard who?

[Feiny]

Actually, the day before he was taken off the air, he said he could no longer support Bush. It was the a combo of the Senate hearings into Janets boob.....and then the marriage protection amendment that turned him. He has been very anti-Bush lately. He went on the same rants against Clinton when the FCC fined him.

[Dane]

Howard who?

Some guy who is having a nervous breakdown on the radio knowing that his arrested development isn't going to be his meal ticket anymore. :^)