The Howard Stern show leaving the public airwaves in 2006...
 

Because he's signed a deal with Sirius.

NEW YORK - Top-ranked shock jock Howard Stern he is leaving Infinity Broadcasting Corp. to join Sirius satellite radio, beginning in January 2006, where regulators can't limit his salacious antics and he'll get the national audience he has coveted.

Stern announced Wednesday that he has signed a five-year, multimillion dollar contract with Sirius, a national distributor of commercial-free music and sport programming. Stern will be heard in every market across the country, according to a joint statement from Stern and Sirius. Shares of the satellite radio comapny surged 18 percent on the news.

Stern's show corners the radio market among males 18-49 years of age, a lucrative market, and ranks No. 1 in many of the 46 major markets where his show is broadcast.

"It has been my dream to have the top-rated show in radio since I was five years old," Stern said in a statement. "Sirius -- the future of radio --will take this dream to a whole new level as I bring my fans my show my way. It will be the best radio they will ever hear."

Sirius CEO Joseph P. Clayton said, "Signing Howard Stern is, without a doubt, the most exciting and transformational event in the history of radio.

"He is an entertainment force of unprecedented recognition and popularity in the broadcast world, who is capable of changing the face of satellite radio and generating huge numbers of subscribers for Sirius."

A call to Infinity for comment was not immediately returned.

Stern has fought to keep his show on the air in some conventional markets.

Earlier this year, Clear Channel Communications dropped Stern from the six markets, including San Diego and Pittsburgh, after complaints from federal regulators. Stern's show often features sexually explicit remarks and off-color humor. In June, Stern announced his show would go on the air in nine new markets owned by Infinity, including four where Clear Channel stations dropped it.

Like cable television, satellite radio does not face federal indecency scrutiny because it is only available to paid subscribers.

Sirius reaches more than 10 million DISH Network satellite TV and Sirius Satellite Radio subscribers nationwide, providing listeners with over 120 channels of commercial-free music, sports, information and entertainment.

Infinity, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc., has about 185 stations in 40 U.S. markets, according to Hoovers.com.

Just my opinion, but Howard Stern has become stale over the past couple of years. I cant see spending $10/month to listen to him for the 30 minute ride to work.

I kind of like how he is vulger, but has some controls. I don't really think that he needs to be censored, but I kind of enjoy innuendo and some restrictions. I hope the Sirus show doesn't just become F this, and hardcore sex talk. Because I think the toeing the line is actually what I enjoy most about his show.

Similar to showing a classy nude of a hot chick in Playboy while Hustler & Penthouse's pictures are just too much.

Stale or not, this is a huge coup for Sirius and a significant blow for Infinity. I wonder if things would be different had Karmazin not been forced out a few months back...

Yeah, Stern does little for me, but I hate Infinity. I really only hate them because they wont let their stations be broadcast over the internet which has forced me to listen to 3 years worth of horrible Lions games through the cackling glee and delight of the other teams' play-by-play guys. I hate them. I hate them all.

Good analogy. We dont need to see the "pink."

Big win for Sirius, who many expected would land Opie and Anthony (they had hired much of the former WNEW staff that was axed when the station flipped formats). O & A landing on XM was a mild upset. I have to imagine the money they budgeted for O&A instead went to Stern (which they probably had to throw some serious dough at to land).

Stern and the NFL have to make Sirius the 'premier' satellite service moving forward. Perception is going to be everything with these satellite services, until they merge or one dies off.

Sirius CEO Joseph P. Clayton said, "Signing Howard Stern is, without a doubt, the most exciting and transformational event in the history of radio.

Uhh.... Yeah,right.

Well, it is a big deal because it's the guy who's listened by more people than anybody else, at least in the morning moving from where radio is regulated to where it's a free-for-all. If anything, it'll help Sirius and their bottom line.

It's like the USFL signing Herschel Walker & Jim Kelly. . .

I think this may push me into considering Sirius. I also read within the last week that they also acquired the radio rights (Not sure if that is or can be exclusive?) of the WVU Mountaineers. I assume they have purchased other Universities rights, as well.

For folks that don't live in their home market, $10-$15/mo is a pretty good deal to hear their teams' pro and college games. Add in a little entertainment, like Stern, and it makes it a little more justifiable, even if it doesn't get as much to-and-from work use as it should.

Speak for yourself. :)

great news! does this mean i can listen to music now instead of his lame ass?

So are you agreeing that it is "without a doubt, the most exciting and transformational event in the history of radio" ???

That is probably one of the most ridiculous comments I have heard in a long time(which is saying something since it's an election year)!

Could they go ahead and move his TV show on E! to an alternate universe as well?

Thanks.

i would have seriously considered doing satellite radio had Stern went to XM or ir O&A were already on Sirius. as it is my commute to work is only 20 minutes to the park and ride, and then some subway stuff (rendering a radio useless). i guess you could use a bay to insert the device into to continue listening, but how many people can really pay attention to the radio and work at a high level? anyway had i been able to get Stern, O&A AND the NFL (not sure how much mileage i'd get out of it considering i'm mostly with the fellas at the sports bar) all in one i'd have most likely have purchased this.

i too like the innuendo as well, more so with O&A. toeing the line was half the fun.

Good stuff.

5 years ago I may have been excited over this but as it is the show has gone so far downhill that It barely even registers. Long winded political diatribes and an increasing need to push subjects rather than just have them flow has really lessened my enjoyment, heck i havnt listened for more than an hour since February and this is from someone who used to listen to the show straight thru from 6am till whenever the show ended. First the marriage, then the end of the Jokeman era, then the Benji crap and now the gagglygog of not weirdos but just plain unfunny people has ruined what was once indeed the greatest thing ever on radio. I'll take my 30 gigs of old shows from the golden era and listen to them ad nauesum before i ever go out of my way to listen to new shows on Siruis.

I like Artie.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

You could listen to music whenever you want, its called turning the dial.

Artie Rules!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Stern Rules. Fuck the FCC.

I love this. Have been mulling over getting sat. radio for over a year now, and this will get me to do it within the next 6 months or so. (being a trucker it is more then for just Stern though)

and Suicane, the Jokeman was lame, Artie is way better. :D

I used to enjoy Howard Stern, in fact he was among my faves after Rush'n'Sean, but over the last year or two I have changed my tune completely. I guess you could say I liked Howard Stern before I disliked him :) .

You sir, are both nuts, and an enemy!!!! The entire show dynamic with Jackie was so much better because of the tension created, now it's just a gaggle of lame ass kissers.

And the Toads will fall bloodily to the hands of Charles Yon, he too is a big Jokeman fan.

And, unfortunately you can't listen to the show via the internet, even if you have a subscription. Not good form, IMO.

Just curious if anyone still listens. The show seems to have taken a slow turn toward the toilet and I can't justify my Sirius subscription with things like Pandora and Spotify to get music from.

It's on 3 days a week, they're on vacation practically half the year, and the show just isn't good. The bits are tired and repetitive, guests are bad, and he mainly just talks about AGT the whole time now. Feels like a show for middle-aged housewives half the time. It still has moments from time to time, mainly when they do get an interesting guest in because Howard is such a good interviewer. But that rarely happens anymore.

And the rest of the network used to be OK. Bubba put on a decent show but he's gone and they've replaced everything with shit you'd find on college radio.

I still find it to be the best show on radio, it is. [/bigfootjr] Regular radio or satellite. It is not as good as a couple of years ago, and Howard seems especially cranky the last 3 months. I think something is up in his personal life.

I never listened to any other show on his station. If he went off the air today, I would keep my subscription because it is pennies a day and the whole service is fantastic.

I still find just about every interview fantastic. Bradley Cooper is becoming one of best guests.

I thought the 2 recent sour shoes episodes were really funny. I don't know, I get an easy 12 hours or so of entertainment a week from it. It's not brain surgery, just fun. I still enjoy it immensely.