I might consider getting satellite radio now.

Howard Stern to Move to Satellite Radio

Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Howard Stern, one of the most popular U.S. radio personalities, on Wednesday said he will broadcast his show on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (Nasdaq:SIRI) beginning in 2006, after being dropped earlier this year from several stations that objected to his often off-color humor.

By luring Stern away from his current employer, Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE:VIAB) Infinity Broadcasting, the deal gives a shot in the arm to satellite radio overall, a new business built on attracting subscribers to dozens of radio stations broadcast digitally.

It also gives Sirius, whose shares rose about 17 percent in early trading, a boost in its rivalry with its larger competitor XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:XMSR).

Sirius currently has more than 600,000 subscribers, a small amount compared to Stern's current audience on broadcast radio, where he ranks No. 1 in 46 large markets across the country, including New York and Los Angeles.

But many analysts have said that a move to satellite radio gives Stern more freedom to broadcast his show.

Indecency on the airwaves became a national issue in January when Janet Jackson bared a breast during the National Football League's Super Bowl half-time show.

Since then, Clear Channel Communications, which kicked Stern off six of its stations, was fined $1.75 million by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to settle all indecency complaints.

Sirius said it would need to add 1 million subscribers to cover the cost of the five-year deal. The company estimates total production and operating costs for the show to be about $100 million annually. XM shares fell nearly 3 percent in early trading.

I listened to his announcement this morning and immediately started to check around the net to see how much satellite radios go for. I'm glad Howard's going to continue his show. He keeps me laughing every morning.

I read that he has over like a quarter of a million dollars in fines by the FCC!

Originally posted by EricIdlefan
I read that he has over like a quarter of a million dollars in fines by the FCC!

That wouldn't surprise me one bit, based on what I've seen from his show on E!, which I used to watch all the time.

Wow! He's finally going to make the move.

His final year with Infinity is gonna be fun.

;)

Great - I think its good he will be off the free airwaves. I can't get enough of a middle aged man talking about sex.

I have to say, I'm disappointed by the decision. You now have to pay to get Stern.....unfair!

Originally posted by Brian Damage
I have to say, I'm disappointed by the decision. You now have to pay to get Stern.....unfair!

I agree with what your saying, but when you are being asked to censor yourself what other course do you have?

:crazy:

I understand why he did it, I'm just not happy about it.

Originally posted by Brian Damage
I have to say, I'm disappointed by the decision. You now have to pay to get Stern.....unfair!

Well, Brian, I'm really excited about this. I'm a big Howard Stern fan, but his show has never been carried here in Spokane, so the only time I get to hear him is when I'm out of town (or when I watch a condensed version of his show on E!).

FM radio is dead to me, and I've been considering satellite radio for a long time now (though I originally thought more along the lines of XM). This gives me more incentive to make the jump.

Besides, Brian, I think you'll get a better-quality version of the show on Sirius. Howard's free to do and say what he wants to without the FCC up his ass.

Stern is an ass. Always has been. Always will be.

Good for Stern.... yes, the FCC blows.

Good for me.... no, now if I want Stern, I need digital radio. :mad:

Originally posted by AKA
Well, Brian, I'm really excited about this. I'm a big Howard Stern fan, but his show has never been carried here in Spokane, so the only time I get to hear him is when I'm out of town (or when I watch a condensed version of his show on E!).

FM radio is dead to me, and I've been considering satellite radio for a long time now (though I originally thought more along the lines of XM). This gives me more incentive to make the jump.

Besides, Brian, I think you'll get a better-quality version of the show on Sirius. Howard's free to do and say what he wants to without the FCC up his ass.

:yeahthat to everything AKA said, except thankfully for me, Howard's show has aired all along here in New York. The only time I have the radio on is to listen to his show. It's telling though that it's come to the point where we have to pay for the freedom to listen to what we choose to. It's not enough for people who don't like it to turn it off, Stern has been forced to move to a forum where his freedom of expression (hopefully) won't be compromised.

Like AKA, I've also had an interest in satellite radio, simply because I imagined the possibility of hearing more than just the same 15-20 songs over and over again, or hearing a comedic radio show without censored words that may offend some people. If satellite's where Howard's going, I'm going too.

Originally posted by AKA
Well, Brian, I'm really excited about this. I'm a big Howard Stern fan, but his show has never been carried here in Spokane, so the only time I get to hear him is when I'm out of town (or when I watch a condensed version of his show on E!).

FM radio is dead to me, and I've been considering satellite radio for a long time now (though I originally thought more along the lines of XM). This gives me more incentive to make the jump.

Besides, Brian, I think you'll get a better-quality version of the show on Sirius. Howard's free to do and say what he wants to without the FCC up his ass.

Good Point

I've always been a listener. I think his ego gets way ahead of him and his better days are well past him. He's still funny at times but I can't see the point of having to pay to listen to him. As far as commercial radio goes, it's been dead for a long time. There are no real freedoms on radio anymore. Everything has to be computerized, compartmentalized, pre programmed crap or it doesn't get on the air. BUT at the same time, I'm not paying 200-300 dollars and then 12 a month for somebody else's ''freedom of expression.''

Satellite radio is very affordable. Not sure about Sirius, but XM is $9.95 a month.

As for Stern... no thanks. :barf:

what happened to freedom of speech??

Originally posted by barwars
what happened to freedom of speech?? It was revoked around 2001.

Originally posted by barwars
what happened to freedom of speech??

Nothing... but I have the right to not listen to him. It lowers my IQ. :crazy:

why is it that the people who always bash Stern are the greatest Limbaugh champions? Stern is infinately cooler than Rush.

Originally posted by Brent88
Nothing... but I have the right to not listen to him. It lowers my IQ. :crazy:

That's right. Not listening to him lowers your IQ. :p

people get too offended by Stern. He is COOL. He is a rock star and a comic rolled into one. He is definately off-color, but you can't deny the man is cool.

Private Parts was a GREAT movie

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
why is it that the people who always bash Stern are the greatest Limbaugh champions? Stern is infinately cooler than Rush.

I don't listen to Rush either. :)

Originally posted by Brent88
Nothing... but I have the right to not listen to him. It lowers my IQ. :crazy:

Not listening to him aside.... its a shame that people have to pay for what they used to get free.

Hence, freedom of speech.

Originally posted by barwars
Not listening to him aside.... its a shame that people have to pay for what they used to get free.

Hence, freedom of speech.

The Last DJ
(Petty) (http://home.comcast.net/~ohnothimagen/lastdj.mp3)

Well, you can’t turn him
Into a company man
You can’t turn him into a whore
And the boys upstairs
Just don’t understand anymore
The top brass don’t like him
Talking so much
And he won’t play
What they say to play
And he don’t want to change
What don’t need to change

There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
There goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
There goes the last DJ

Some folks say they’re gonna
Hang him so high
‘Cause you just can’t do what he did
There’s some things you just can’t
Put in the minds of those kids

As we celebrate mediocrity
All the boys upstairs want to see
How much you’ll pay for
What you used to get for free

There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say

Hey, hey, hey
There goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
There goes the last DJ

Well, he got him a station
Down in mexico
Sometimes it’ll kinda come in
And I’ll bust a move and
Remember how it was back then

There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
There goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice

Originally posted by Brent88
Nothing... but I have the right to not listen to him. It lowers my IQ. :crazy:

:yeahthat ;) :p

I can't stand Rush either :barf:

I got tired of listening to Stern talk about poop, farts, and women he'd like to bang.

Double post. Delete me.

Stern's Sirius Deal a Shocker for Radio

By Tamara Conniff
Billboard

NEW YORK - Music radio programing has a new champion: Howard Stern.

Not only will Stern take his infamous talk show to Sirius Satellite Radio beginning in 2006, but the shock jock plans to launch three Stern-branded channels to showcase music, comedy and new talent.

"Music is so much a part of what I do. I'm about rock 'n' roll," Stern told Billboard. "With what's going on in this country and the war in Iraq, music is more important than ever. I think there is going to be a rebirth of protest music. (My stations) will also represent music and lifestyle. I'm going to mix it up."

Stern, with his long dark mane and constant flow of go-go dancers as guests on his show, in many ways embodies the rock star lifestyle. Scott Greenstein, Sirius president of entertainment and sports, told Billboard that while Stern has not programed music on his talk show in the past, he has had a huge impact on music culture by bringing on musical guests, being a music advocate and, above all, fighting for creative rights.

FCC FALLOUT

Like Stern, the music industry has been affected by the Federal Communications Commission's indecency enforcement -- many songs, especially in rap and hip-hop, have to go through a stringent editing process to become "clean" enough for traditional radio.

Additionally, radio programers often shy away from politically charged music for fear of alienating listeners.

Increasingly, labels see satellite radio as an avenue to reach music consumers who feel shut out of traditional radio because programing has become so restricted. In fact, earlier this year Sirius signed a deal with Eminem, Shady Records and Interscope Records to create a hip-hop music and lifestyle channel.

"Howard coming to Sirius is great news for the music business," Greenstein said.

Stern's decision to continue working in radio is good news, period. He said the past year has taken its toll on him. Creatively shackled by the FCC and incessant editing by current employer Infinity Broadcasting, Stern had been threatening to defect to satellite radio for most of the year.

"I was going to get out of radio," Stern said. "I was going to get back into books and movies, reinvent myself. Then I realized that it wasn't that I hated radio: It was the situation. This is a whole new future. It was time for me to say, 'I am abandoning the old way of doing things."'

Traditional radio certainly recognizes the threat. Stern's Sirius deal was all the buzz at the National Assn. of Broadcasters convention in San Diego. Radio general managers and executives spoke in hushed tones about the implications.

RADIO REVOLUTION

Stern said he could not be happier to lead the revolution.

"This is the day satellite has become a business," he said. "I've already gotten so many calls from people who want to defect. I'm going to put Clear Channel out of business."

Stern's five-year multimillion-dollar deal with Sirius will start Jan. 1, 2006. It has enormous implications for the 40-plus terrestrial stations that currently air his show, including Infinity powerhouses KLSX Los Angeles; WCKG Chicago; WYSP Philadelphia; KITS San Francisco; WBCN Boston; WJFK Washington, D.C.; and Stern's WXRK New York flagship.

Specific terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but Sirius pegs total production and operating costs for the Stern show -- including salaries for the cast and staff, overhead, construction costs for a dedicated studio and a budget for the development of additional programing and marketing concepts -- at about $100 million per year.

Greenstein said Stern would need to generate approximately 1 million subscribers paying the monthly $12.95 subscription fee to cover the costs of the deal.

Sirius has 600,000 subscribers. Rival XM Satellite Radio is at 2.1 million.

LOYAL FOLLOWING

Stern's listeners are arguably the most loyal in radio and have migrated with the self-proclaimed "King of All Media" as he crossed over to such formats as books, pay-per-view, movies and TV. Sirius is making a reasonably safe bet that his millions of fans will follow him again and become subscribers.

Above all, the deal will help make satellite radio a household name. The hope for Sirius and the music industry is that this movement will translate into a huge increase in subscriptions to Sirius, as well as an important outlet to expose music.

For the next 15 months, Stern will stay with the terrestrial radio medium that made him what he is today. "We at Infinity have enjoyed our years with Howard," his current employer said in a statement. "We wish him well in his new foray into the world of pay subscription radio, beginning in 2006."

Stern noted, "My show ratings have never been higher, and ad (rates) are stronger than ever. I'm walking away from an empire. It's a creative decision. Clear Channel does not pay its bills, and they don't stand for free speech."

But he also leaves a group of stations that have relied on his power to draw an audience. Some have built their brand around Stern.

Infinity Broadcasting's 27 stations that carry Stern include KHWD Sacramento, Calif., which calls itself "Howard 93.7." According to Infinity spokesperson Karen Matteo, "We are weighing our options. We have great talent at our 185 stations, not to mention at (parent company) Viacom."

Originally posted by Dutabi84
I got tired of listening to Stern talk about poop, farts, and women he'd like to bang.

Don't most men talk about that all the time?

:rotflmao:

Originally posted by Brent88
Don't most men talk about that all the time?

:rotflmao:

1 and 2.... no.

3.... sshhhhhh

Originally posted by Dutabi84
I got tired of listening to Stern talk about poop, farts, and women he'd like to bang.

:lol:

Actually Stern could just re-play some of his re-runs from five years ago. Nobody could tell the difference especially since all his shows sound the same anyways.

I like MANCOW more anyway. He is funnier, and has comedy sketches.

In other words....NEW MATERIAL!!!

Originally posted by barwars
1 and 2.... no.

3.... sshhhhhh

:eek: :p