Howard Stern Show
Encyclopedia
The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by its namesake Howard Stern
. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005. The show has been exclusive to Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio
service, since 2006.
The show developed in 1979 when Stern landed his first morning shift at WCCC
in Hartford, Connecticut
, four years into his professional career. He continued to break out as a morning personality at WWWW
in Detroit, Michigan
in 1980 and was paired with his current news anchor and co-host Robin Quivers
in 1981 at WWDC
in Washington, D.C.
. In 1982, Stern's success in Washington led to a spot at WNBC
in New York City
, where he hosted the city's top afternoon show until his firing in 1985. The show returned to the airwaves soon after on WXRK, where it became one of the most popular radio shows. In December 2005, following the announcement of his move to Sirius, the show left terrestrial radio. The Howard Stern Show aired in a total of 60 markets
across the United States and Canada
to an audience of 20 million listeners at its peak. In the New York market the show was the highest-rated morning program consecutively for seven years between 1994 and 2001.
Since 1994, the show has been filmed for broadcast on television. A condensed program of show highlights aired on the E!
network from 1994 to 2005 and on Howard TV, a subscription on-demand service on digital cable
, since 2006. Between 1990 and 2004, a total of $2.5 million in fines were issued to station licensees that carried the show by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), for what it considered indecent material.
Stern landed his first professional radio job while at Boston University
, performing on-air skits, news casting and production duties at WNTN
in Newton, Massachusetts
from August to December 1975. He also hosted a show with three fellow students on WTBU
, the campus radio station, named The King Schmaltz Bagel Hour which was cancelled during its first broadcast for a sketch called "Godzilla Goes to Harlem". After his graduation, Stern landed some cover shifts in December 1976 at WRNW
, a progressive rock
station in Briarcliff Manor, New York
where he subsequently hired full-time working middays. He produced more creative commercials by calling the owners of businesses on the air, which he wrote "was mind-blowing to everyone there."
In 1979, Stern responded to an advertisement for a "wild, fun morning guy" at WCCC
, rock station in Hartford, Connecticut
. He produced a more outrageous audition tape, playing Robert Klein
and Cheech and Chong
records mixed with flatulence routines and one-liners. He was hired for the job, his first in a large radio market
. As the station's public affairs director, Stern also hosted a half-hour interview show on Sunday mornings, which he favored as it contained no music. He would ask more unusual types questions to his guests, such as their dating habits. Stern held a two-day boycott of Shell Oil Company
during the summer of the 1979 energy crisis
, which made Stern and the station make national news. Stern also began his "Dial-a-Date" routines at WCCC, and met Fred Norris
, the station's overnight disc jockey who provided Stern's show with various comedic impressions of celebrities. Norris would join the show as Stern's writer and producer in 1981.
After Stern left WCCC for being denied a raise in salary, he began a new morning shift at WWWW
, a struggling rock outlet in Detroit, Michigan
on April 21, 1980. He learned to become more open on the air and "decided to cut down the barriers...strip down all the ego...and be totally honest...I still sounded like an FM announcer". Stern held a bra-burning event and wrestled women outside the studios, and invited listeners to confess with the most outrageous places where they had sex, and record their calls for the air. For his performance, Stern won a Billboard
award for "Best Album-Oriented Rock Disc Jockey" and was featured in the Drake-Chenault
"Top Five Talent Search" contest in the AOR category. Published in January 1981, the fall Arbitron
ratings showed that Stern trailed his three rock competitors with a 1.6% market share
of the listening audience during an average quarter hour
. It was the final straw for management, who turned WWWW into a more successful country music format
on January 18. Much to his dislike, Stern left the station soon after and declined offers to work at CHUM
in Toronto
, WXRT
in Chicago
, and WPLJ
in New York City
.
He was determined to become a success, and noticed the importance of news segments for satire
. He wished for a news person to riff with him in the studio. Management paired Stern with Robin Quivers
, a news anchor and consumer reporter from WFBR in Baltimore
, who agreed to meet Stern after hearing him interview a prostitute on the air. Quivers at first "thought I would come in and do the news...but it wasn't that way...he wanted someone to play off of...he wanted a real live person there with him". The show began to break format, and Stern held a lesbian edition of "Dial-a-Date" in May 1981. He formed the Think Tank, a cohesive trio of male listeners who conversed with Stern and played along with quizzes and routines, which helped the show sound more natural. By January 1982, Stern had the second highest-rated morning program in the city. On January 14, one day after the crash of Air Florida Flight 90
, Stern made believe he asked Air Florida
the price of a one-way ticket to the 14th Street Bridge, the location of the disaster. "Is that going to be a permanent stop?" asked Stern. On June 29, 1982, Stern's contract at WWDC was terminated. He writes that the Air Florida segment was not the reason for his departure, nor did anyone complain about it. He had signed a contract with WNBC
in March, and began to berate management and other deejays on the air. Quivers, who left the show early on June 17, worked at WCBM
in Baltimore until rejoining with Stern on October 18, 1982. Stern presented a farewell show two weeks later on competing station WAVA
. He had more than tripled the station's ratings during his stay.
Stern began his WNBC program in September 1982, working from 4–8 pm. Concerned about its corporate image and his risque personality, management told Stern to avoid discussions of a sexual and religious nature. Within his first month at the station, Stern was suspended for several days for a controversial segment known as "Virgin Mary Kong
." The skit featured a new video game by God in which a group of men chase the Virgin Mary around a singles bar in Jerusalem. In February 1983, comedian Jackie Martling
was hired to make weekly appearances as a comedy writer. With his on-the-fly style, he provided jokes for such show bits like "Stump the Comedian" and "The Match Game". Martling assumed his role full-time in August 1986 when he replaced Al Rosenberg, a comedian and writer at WNBC who could no longer commute from Washington, D.C. Also hired was Gary Dell'Abate
of the station's traffic department, who started as the show's assistant in September 1984 and went on to become executive producer. Stern continued to break out of the station's strict format. He had a naked woman on the show for the first time and attempted to make another reach orgasm through her radio speaker, both of which were reenacted in his 1997 film Private Parts
.
The Arbitron ratings released in 1984 showed a rise in Stern's popularity. Having moved shifts to 3–7 pm, he attracted audience shares of 3.8%, 4.2%, and 4.6% that year. The show was popular among males aged between 18 and 34, a highly-marketable demographic for advertisers. Stern acquired a 5.7% share in 1985, the highest rating at the station in four years, pushing the station's ranking in afternoons from eleventh to first place in three years. Among the success, tension between management and Stern grew further. On September 30, 1985, the show was cancelled due to what management termed as "conceptual differences" between themselves and Stern regarding his show. "Over the course of time, we made a very conscious effort to make Stern aware that certain elements of the program should be changed", said program director John Hayes
, whom Stern had nicknamed "The Incubus
." "I don't think it's appropriate to say what those specifics were." In 1992, Stern believed that Thornton Bradshaw, at the time chairman of RCA
which then owned WNBC, was driving in his limousine having heard his "Bestiality Dial-a-Date" segment and ordered his firing.
of WMMR
, and was determined to beat him in the ratings. He achieved his goal in April 1990, and held a celebratory "funeral" for DeBella on May 10 in Rittenhouse Square
which aired live. By early 1987, Stern had almost completely stopped playing music during the show and was reaching almost 800,000 listeners each week in the New York area. Between September 1986 and February 1987, Stern hosted a three-hour Saturday morning program with a live audience which was syndicated to 45 markets across the country by DIR Broadcasting. The show added two new staff in 1988 — impressionist Billy West
and intern "Stuttering John" Melendez
, who would achieve notoriety by asking celebrities awkward questions on the red carpet
and press conferences. That year, Stern returned to the Washington, D.C. market after a six-year absence when he was syndicated on WJFK
, his third affiliate.
In July 1991, the show began to air on KLSX
in Los Angeles
. Listeners jammed the station's switchboard during the first simulcast with mostly negative calls about the change. Stern rivaled with the KLOS
morning team of Mark and Brian, who for three years had the area's top-rated program. In January 1992, Stern reached the number one spot in New York by overtaking the news station WINS
, who had enjoyed a ten-year reign. He was reaching over one million listeners a week there, and hosted a live victory parade in Times Square
to celebrate. In October 1992, Stern became the first person to have the number one show in New York and Los Angeles simultaneously, as he acquired a 9.5% market share in New York and 6.4% in Los Angeles. His victory funeral for Mark and Brian was held in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Palace Theatre in November 1992. By this time, advertisers in New York were charged as much as $3,000 per minute, and $1,500 in Los Angeles, for a one-minute commercial on the show. Following his 1992 debut on WNCX
in Cleveland, Stern took the station from thirteenth in mornings to first place in under two years. On June 10, 1994, during the city's funeral broadcast William Alford, an engineer of competing station WMMS
, cut a wire used for the show's satellite feed which stopped the broadcast temporarily. Alford was later sentenced to ten days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
In June 1994, robotic cameras were installed in the WXRK studio to film the radio show for a condensed half-hour program on E!. Howard Stern ran for 11 years until the last original episode aired on July 8, 2005. In conjunction with his move to satellite radio, Stern launched Howard Stern on Demand, a subscription-based video-on-demand service, on November 18, 2005. The service was relaunched as Howard TV on March 16, 2006.
On December 7, 1994, Stern made national news by preventing a man from committing suicide who was to jump off the George Washington Bridge
. Caller Emilio Bonilla was kept on the line for five minutes until Port Authority Police, whose tour commander was listening to the show, took Bonilla into custody. Bonilla was charged with cocaine possession, reckless endangerment and was taken to hospital. Senator Al D'Amato
and Ed Koch
, former-Mayor of New York City
, called in to congratulate Stern.
, a rift in the Hispanic
community occurred after Stern commented on her music and Spanish people. After a song of hers was played with gunshot sound effects, Stern said "Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth. Alvin and the Chipmunks
have more soul." He called one of her records "awful music that could only be popular with that segment of society." Callers from KEGL in Dallas, Texas
jammed the station's switchboards. The League of United Latin American Citizens
attempted to get Stern off the air, while listeners called for boycotts against his advertisers. Stern responded to the reaction with a statement in Spanish, arguing that his comments were not intended to cause pain to her family, friends and loved ones. Justice of the Peace
Eloy Cano of Harlingen, Texas
issued an arrest warrant on Stern for disorderly conduct, which remained in place a year after the incident.
The Howard Stern Show was syndicated to 26 stations nationwide by the end of 1995, and was the subject of two Billboard awards for Network/Syndicated Program of the Year in the modern rock
and mainstream rock
categories in 1996. In February 1996, Stern announced the Howard Stern Radio Network, an agreement that let him form a network consisting of radio personalities that he approved. Stations would be able to choose shows from a 24-hour menu or carry the network's programming around the clock. By the end of 1996, the show aired on 34 stations.
The show aired on Canadian airwaves for the first time on September 2, 1997 to CHOM
in Montreal
and CILQ
in Toronto
. Stern's comments about French people
and their language
caused a rift with some listeners. "There is something about the language that turns you into a pussy-assed jack off. Anybody who speaks French is a scum bag. It turns you into a coward. Just like in World War II, they would not stick up for us. Screw your culture and we're invading you all." Ratings for the two stations increased nonetheless by 62% and 47% respectively. Following listener complaints and censorship enforced by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the show was cancelled in Montreal in 1998 and in Toronto in 2001.
A day after the Columbine High School massacre
in Littleton, Colorado
on April 20, 1999, Stern's comments regarding the incident drew criticism from some listeners. "There were some really good looking girls running out with their hands over their heads...Did [the suspects] try to have sex with any of the good looking girls?...At least if you are going to kill yourself and kill all the kids, why wouldn't you have some sex?...If I was going to kill some people, I'd take them out with sex". Hundreds complained to KXPK
, the show's affiliate in Denver. Stern argued his comments were taken out of context, and accused critics of being overly sensitive. "I dared to ask if kids had sex. So what? That's how I think. I had zero intent to make fun of the situation. The point in making that comment was an attempt to try to understand a motive. We didn't know anything about motives [the morning after] and were trying to consider all possibilities".
Stern made headlines after former child star Dana Plato
commited suicide one day after visiting the show. Plato had been living in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, surrounded by rumours of her sexuality and drug abuse, which became the biggest topic of the interview. After telling Stern she had been sober for over a decade and denying rumours about her lesbian relationship, some callers accused her of lying. At some point Stern suggested that Plato do a urinalysis
to prove them wrong, while Plato agreed to give a hair sample for analysis. Plato was crying several times, mostly while offering her gratitude to callers who believed everything she had said. Stern also asked her if she had ever considered suicide to which she replied, "Hell no. I've got a beautiful boy. I'm OK in my skin. I'm OK with who I am." Plato died of a drug overdose the day after.
In March 2001, Stern announced the departure of Martling, who was unable reach an agreement over a new contract with WXRK. A "Win Jackie's Money" contest began where comedians auditioned for Martling's spot by sitting in on shows. Craig Gass, Doug Stanhope
, Richard Jeni
, Jim Florentine
, A.J. Benza, and Ron Zimmerman were among the participants. In October, comedian and actor Artie Lange
joined the show full-time.
Stern aired live during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and continued to broadcast with most of his staff
until around 12:15 pm. The live reporting was one of the first for those listening across the country, with callers sharing their own experiences. In September 2006, a 90-minute special featuring the staff and their recollections of the day aired on Howard TV, titled 9.11.01: A Retrospective.
, a former electrician and drummer of various death
and heavy metal
bands including Iced Earth
and Death, won with 30% of the listener vote. Former stockbroker Sal Governale, the runner-up with 24%, was also hired in September.
On February 26, 2004, Stern was cancelled on six stations owned by Clear Channel Communications
after a caller used the word "nigger" when asking Rick Salomon
if he ever had sex with a black person the day before. Following the issue of a $495,000 fine to Clear Channel by the FCC, which cited sexual discussions on a show from 2003, Stern was removed permanently on the six stations. Stern returned to four of the six markets that he was suspended from, including five new ones, on Infinity-owned stations on July 19.
On October 6, 2004, Stern announced his five-year contract with Sirius Satellite Radio
, a subscription-based satellite radio
service, free from the FCC's regulations. A contributing factor in the decision was the aftermath of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
which began the tightening of censorship and regulation in broadcasting. The deal, worth approximately $100 million a year for all costs, included a bonus stock payment of $83 million for Stern in January 2007 for surpassing subscriber goals set in 2004. Promotion of Sirius met with controversy as Stern mentioned the service on air, instructing listeners in purchasing receivers and subscriptions. In one incident, Farid Suleman
of Citadel Broadcasting
billed Stern $200,000 for the continual advertising mentions. On November 8, 2005, Stern was suspended for one day for excessive promotion of the service.
Stern hosted his final show on terrestrial radio on December 16, 2005. A stage was built outside the studio for Stern, his colleagues
and Wack Pack
members to make their farewell speeches. In his closing speech, Stern thanked the New York City Police Department
, dedicating the show to Sergeant Keith Manning, a friend who at the time was serving in Iraq
. When off the air, Stern traveled to the Hard Rock Cafe
in Times Square
on an open-top bus and met Martha Stewart
, who was broadcasting on her own Sirius channel, Martha Stewart Living Radio
. Stern's contract with Infinity Broadcasting expired at midnight on December 31. The show was syndicated to as many as 60 markets across the United States and Canada, and gained a peak audience of 20 million listeners. In the New York market the show was the highest-rated morning program consecutively for seven years between 1994 and 2001. Stern's successor in various East Coast
affiliates, The David Lee Roth Show
, attracted a market share of 1.8% in January 2006, which was down from 7.9% that Stern acquired a month previous. Stern was replaced with The Adam Carolla Show on numerous West Coast
affiliates, and Rover's Morning Glory
in mostly Midwestern
markets.
then introduced himself as the show's new announcer. 180,000 Sirius radios were activated a day before. Stern read out the list of revelations for the show's "Revelations Game", where staff told an unknown secret about themselves.
In May 2006, Stern claimed he had received offers from three major companies to return to terrestrial radio. Although he would never return, Stern did mention that it would be "cool to go back and kick their asses." Although none of the three were released, media organizations released that Stern was "thinking" of his return. To clear up the rumors, the Associated Press
were called on-air on May 10. "The story is I wouldn't do terrestrial radio for any reason", said Stern. Rumors once again arose in September 2006 that Stern would be returning, and were once again denied by Stern and Sirius. Sirius representative Patrick Reilly told United Press International
that there were never "any discussions of Howard Stern in any way, shape, or form being anything but exclusive to Sirius. Published reports suggesting otherwise are wrong."
Stern announced on June 7, 2006 that the lawsuit settlement with CBS Radio
finally gave Sirius the exclusive rights to his entire back catalog of broadcasts from at WXRK, totalling almost 23,000 hours. It was reported that Sirius agreed to pay CBS $2 million for the rights, equating to around $87 per-hour of tape. On December 2, 2009, it was announced that every tape had been digitized on a server taking up multiple terabytes of data.
On December 9, 2010, Stern announced the signing of a new five-year contract with Sirius which will end in late 2015.
(FCC) has fined owners of radio stations that carried The Howard Stern Show a total of $2.5 million for indecent programming.
Former
Some former interns
Closing
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005. The show has been exclusive to Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
service, since 2006.
The show developed in 1979 when Stern landed his first morning shift at WCCC
WCCC-FM
WCCC-FM branded as "The Rock 106.9" is a radio station serving central Connecticut that plays hard rock and occasionally classic rock. WCCC markets itself as the only non-corporate operation in Connecticut, with no pre-recorded DJs The station regularly invites listeners to make requests and also...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, four years into his professional career. He continued to break out as a morning personality at WWWW
WWWW-FM
WWWW-FM - "W4 Country" - is a country music radio station based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, broadcasting on 102.9 MHz.-Early years:The 102.9 frequency began operations in or on March 1, 1962 as WOIA and was co-owned with WOIB-AM 1290 in Saline, Michigan. Originally, WOIA and WOIB simulcast a middle of...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1980 and was paired with his current news anchor and co-host Robin Quivers
Robin Quivers
Robin Ophelia Quivers is an American radio personality, most notable for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in nursing. In 1975, she joined the United States Air Force...
in 1981 at WWDC
WWDC (FM)
WWDC is a commercial radio station in Washington, D.C., broadcasting to the Washington, DC-Baltimore, Maryland area. WWDC airs an alternative rock format on 101.1 FM branded as DC101.-History:WWDC-FM signed on in 1947 as a beautiful music station...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In 1982, Stern's success in Washington led to a spot at WNBC
WNBC (AM)
WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he hosted the city's top afternoon show until his firing in 1985. The show returned to the airwaves soon after on WXRK, where it became one of the most popular radio shows. In December 2005, following the announcement of his move to Sirius, the show left terrestrial radio. The Howard Stern Show aired in a total of 60 markets
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
across the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to an audience of 20 million listeners at its peak. In the New York market the show was the highest-rated morning program consecutively for seven years between 1994 and 2001.
Since 1994, the show has been filmed for broadcast on television. A condensed program of show highlights aired on the E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
network from 1994 to 2005 and on Howard TV, a subscription on-demand service on digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
, since 2006. Between 1990 and 2004, a total of $2.5 million in fines were issued to station licensees that carried the show by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC), for what it considered indecent material.
History
Early development (1975–1981)
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, performing on-air skits, news casting and production duties at WNTN
WNTN
WNTN is a daytime-only, 10,000 watt, omni-directional radio station licensed to the city of Newton, Massachusetts, serving the greater Boston area. It broadcasts on 1550 kHz on the AM radio dial....
in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
from August to December 1975. He also hosted a show with three fellow students on WTBU
WTBU
WTBU is a "Part 15" student-managed and -operated radio station at Boston University. This means it is not licensed by the FCC but operates legally under special "low power" rules...
, the campus radio station, named The King Schmaltz Bagel Hour which was cancelled during its first broadcast for a sketch called "Godzilla Goes to Harlem". After his graduation, Stern landed some cover shifts in December 1976 at WRNW
WXPK
WXPK, , is an adult album alternative rock radio station in White Plains, New York. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and transmits from a tower in the Westchester County Correctional Facility with an ERP of 1.9 KW.-History:...
, a progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
station in Briarcliff Manor, New York
Briarcliff Manor, New York
Briarcliff Manor is a village in Westchester County in the state of New York. It is shared between the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining, and lies entirely within the ZIP code of 10510...
where he subsequently hired full-time working middays. He produced more creative commercials by calling the owners of businesses on the air, which he wrote "was mind-blowing to everyone there."
In 1979, Stern responded to an advertisement for a "wild, fun morning guy" at WCCC
WCCC-FM
WCCC-FM branded as "The Rock 106.9" is a radio station serving central Connecticut that plays hard rock and occasionally classic rock. WCCC markets itself as the only non-corporate operation in Connecticut, with no pre-recorded DJs The station regularly invites listeners to make requests and also...
, rock station in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. He produced a more outrageous audition tape, playing Robert Klein
Robert Klein
Robert Klein is an American stand-up comedian, singer and actor.-Early life:Klein was born in the Bronx, the son of Frieda and Benjamin Klein, and was raised in a "prototypical 1950s Bronx Jewish" environment. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Klein planned to study medicine...
and Cheech and Chong
Cheech and Chong
Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...
records mixed with flatulence routines and one-liners. He was hired for the job, his first in a large radio market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
. As the station's public affairs director, Stern also hosted a half-hour interview show on Sunday mornings, which he favored as it contained no music. He would ask more unusual types questions to his guests, such as their dating habits. Stern held a two-day boycott of Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
during the summer of the 1979 energy crisis
1979 energy crisis
The 1979 oil crisis in the United States occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Amid massive protests, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled his country in early 1979 and the Ayatollah Khomeini soon became the new leader of Iran. Protests severely disrupted the Iranian oil...
, which made Stern and the station make national news. Stern also began his "Dial-a-Date" routines at WCCC, and met Fred Norris
Fred Norris
Eric Fred Norris is an American radio personality known for being the longest-tenured staff member of The Howard Stern Show aside from Stern himself...
, the station's overnight disc jockey who provided Stern's show with various comedic impressions of celebrities. Norris would join the show as Stern's writer and producer in 1981.
After Stern left WCCC for being denied a raise in salary, he began a new morning shift at WWWW
WDTW-FM
WDTW-FM is a classic rock formatted radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WDTW-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations; its secondary channel carries Clear Channel's "Pride Radio" format, which features music geared toward the LGBT audience...
, a struggling rock outlet in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on April 21, 1980. He learned to become more open on the air and "decided to cut down the barriers...strip down all the ego...and be totally honest...I still sounded like an FM announcer". Stern held a bra-burning event and wrestled women outside the studios, and invited listeners to confess with the most outrageous places where they had sex, and record their calls for the air. For his performance, Stern won a Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
award for "Best Album-Oriented Rock Disc Jockey" and was featured in the Drake-Chenault
Drake-Chenault
Drake-Chenault Enterprises was a radio syndication company that specialized in automation on FM radio stations. The company was founded in the late-1960s by radio programmer and deejay Bill Drake , and his business partner, Lester Eugene Chenault...
"Top Five Talent Search" contest in the AOR category. Published in January 1981, the fall Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings showed that Stern trailed his three rock competitors with a 1.6% market share
Ratings (broadcast)
Ratings is a term used to describe the methods used by radio, cable and terrestrial television programming measure their performance. Ratings are collated using audience measurement.-Mechanisms for Calculating Ratings :...
of the listening audience during an average quarter hour
Ratings (broadcast)
Ratings is a term used to describe the methods used by radio, cable and terrestrial television programming measure their performance. Ratings are collated using audience measurement.-Mechanisms for Calculating Ratings :...
. It was the final straw for management, who turned WWWW into a more successful country music format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
on January 18. Much to his dislike, Stern left the station soon after and declined offers to work at CHUM
CHUM-FM
CHUM-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to Toronto, Ontario and operated by Bell Media. It broadcasts at 104.5 MHz with a hot adult contemporary format that leans towards rhythmic adult contemporary...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, WXRT
WXRT
WXRT, also known as WXRT 93.1, XRT, and 93-XRT is a AAA radio station in Chicago, Illinois. For many years their slogan has been "Chicago's Finest Rock". WXRT is a primary sponsor of the Chicago nonprofit Rock For Kids.-History:...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Washington and WNBC New York (1981–1985)
On March 2, 1981, Stern began his third morning job at WWDC, a rock station in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He was determined to become a success, and noticed the importance of news segments for satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
. He wished for a news person to riff with him in the studio. Management paired Stern with Robin Quivers
Robin Quivers
Robin Ophelia Quivers is an American radio personality, most notable for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in nursing. In 1975, she joined the United States Air Force...
, a news anchor and consumer reporter from WFBR in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, who agreed to meet Stern after hearing him interview a prostitute on the air. Quivers at first "thought I would come in and do the news...but it wasn't that way...he wanted someone to play off of...he wanted a real live person there with him". The show began to break format, and Stern held a lesbian edition of "Dial-a-Date" in May 1981. He formed the Think Tank, a cohesive trio of male listeners who conversed with Stern and played along with quizzes and routines, which helped the show sound more natural. By January 1982, Stern had the second highest-rated morning program in the city. On January 14, one day after the crash of Air Florida Flight 90
Air Florida Flight 90
Air Florida Flight 90 was a scheduled U.S. domestic passenger flight from Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia, to Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a stopover at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida...
, Stern made believe he asked Air Florida
Air Florida
Air Florida was an American low-cost carrier that operated from 1971 to 1984. In 1975 it was headquartered in the Dadeland Towers in what is now the Kendall CDP in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
the price of a one-way ticket to the 14th Street Bridge, the location of the disaster. "Is that going to be a permanent stop?" asked Stern. On June 29, 1982, Stern's contract at WWDC was terminated. He writes that the Air Florida segment was not the reason for his departure, nor did anyone complain about it. He had signed a contract with WNBC
WNBC (AM)
WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
in March, and began to berate management and other deejays on the air. Quivers, who left the show early on June 17, worked at WCBM
WCBM
WCBM is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. The station is owned by WCBM Maryland, Inc., which also owns WVIE, 1370 AM...
in Baltimore until rejoining with Stern on October 18, 1982. Stern presented a farewell show two weeks later on competing station WAVA
WAVA
WAVA and WAVA-FM are Religious formatted broadcast radio stations. Both stations are licensed to Arlington, Virginia and serve the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. Both WAVA and WAVA-FM, as well as sister station WWRC, are owned and operated by Salem Communications.-External links:*...
. He had more than tripled the station's ratings during his stay.
Stern began his WNBC program in September 1982, working from 4–8 pm. Concerned about its corporate image and his risque personality, management told Stern to avoid discussions of a sexual and religious nature. Within his first month at the station, Stern was suspended for several days for a controversial segment known as "Virgin Mary Kong
Donkey Kong
is a fictional gorilla in the Donkey Kong and Mario series. He is roughly twice the size of a normal gorilla, weighing approximately 800 pounds. Donkey Kong first appeared in Nintendo's popular 1981 video game of the same name. Since then he has appeared in over 20 games in his own series, as well...
." The skit featured a new video game by God in which a group of men chase the Virgin Mary around a singles bar in Jerusalem. In February 1983, comedian Jackie Martling
Jackie Martling
John Coger "Jackie" Martling, Jr. is an American comedian, comedy writer and radio personality. He is best known for being a writer on The Howard Stern Show from 1983 to 2001.-Early life and career:...
was hired to make weekly appearances as a comedy writer. With his on-the-fly style, he provided jokes for such show bits like "Stump the Comedian" and "The Match Game". Martling assumed his role full-time in August 1986 when he replaced Al Rosenberg, a comedian and writer at WNBC who could no longer commute from Washington, D.C. Also hired was Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
of the station's traffic department, who started as the show's assistant in September 1984 and went on to become executive producer. Stern continued to break out of the station's strict format. He had a naked woman on the show for the first time and attempted to make another reach orgasm through her radio speaker, both of which were reenacted in his 1997 film Private Parts
Private Parts (1997 film)
Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and released by Paramount Pictures. Written by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko, the film is an adaptation of the 1993 best-selling book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, who stars as himself. It...
.
The Arbitron ratings released in 1984 showed a rise in Stern's popularity. Having moved shifts to 3–7 pm, he attracted audience shares of 3.8%, 4.2%, and 4.6% that year. The show was popular among males aged between 18 and 34, a highly-marketable demographic for advertisers. Stern acquired a 5.7% share in 1985, the highest rating at the station in four years, pushing the station's ranking in afternoons from eleventh to first place in three years. Among the success, tension between management and Stern grew further. On September 30, 1985, the show was cancelled due to what management termed as "conceptual differences" between themselves and Stern regarding his show. "Over the course of time, we made a very conscious effort to make Stern aware that certain elements of the program should be changed", said program director John Hayes
John Hayes (radio)
John Hayes is a radio executive famously named "The Incubus" by Howard Stern from his days as Vice President and General Manager at WNBC. He and Kevin "Pig Virus" Metheny, program director prior to Hayes' arrival, were portrayed by Paul Giamatti as a composite character under the name Kenny "Pig...
, whom Stern had nicknamed "The Incubus
Incubus
An incubus is a male demon that has sexual intercourse with sleeping women.Incubus may also refer to:- Film :* Incubus , a film in Esperanto starring William Shatner* Incubus , a horror film starring Tara Reid...
." "I don't think it's appropriate to say what those specifics were." In 1992, Stern believed that Thornton Bradshaw, at the time chairman of RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
which then owned WNBC, was driving in his limousine having heard his "Bestiality Dial-a-Date" segment and ordered his firing.
K-Rock, national syndication and new staff (1985–1994)
Stern returned to the New York airwaves on rock station WXRK, where he began his 20-year residency at the station in afternoons from 2–6 pm on November 18, 1985. Following his move to mornings from 6 am on February 18, 1986, Stern entered national syndication on August 18, 1986 when WYSP in Philadelphia first simulcast the program. In the 18-plus male demographic, WYSP rose from eleventh to second place in three months. Stern began a rivalry with the number one host John DeBellaJohn Debella
John DeBella is an American DJ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 102.9 WMGK-FM. He was born in Queens, New York.-Career:Before arriving in Philadelphia, DeBella did a stint at WLIR-FM Garden City. In the early '80s he hosted The DeBella Travesty and helped to introduce the Dare to be Different new...
of WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
, and was determined to beat him in the ratings. He achieved his goal in April 1990, and held a celebratory "funeral" for DeBella on May 10 in Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century in central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park cuts off 19th Street at Walnut Street and also at a half block above Manning Street. Its boundaries are...
which aired live. By early 1987, Stern had almost completely stopped playing music during the show and was reaching almost 800,000 listeners each week in the New York area. Between September 1986 and February 1987, Stern hosted a three-hour Saturday morning program with a live audience which was syndicated to 45 markets across the country by DIR Broadcasting. The show added two new staff in 1988 — impressionist Billy West
Billy West
William Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival...
and intern "Stuttering John" Melendez
John Melendez
John Edward Melendez , commonly known as "Stuttering John," is an American television writer and former radio personality. Prior to his work on television as a writer and announcer, Melendez was a regular on-air personality on The Howard Stern Show...
, who would achieve notoriety by asking celebrities awkward questions on the red carpet
Red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
and press conferences. That year, Stern returned to the Washington, D.C. market after a six-year absence when he was syndicated on WJFK
WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...
, his third affiliate.
In July 1991, the show began to air on KLSX
KLSX
KAMP-FM 97.1 FM, known on-air as 97.1 AMP Radio, is a Rhythmic Contemporary radio station in Los Angeles, California. The station is owned by CBS Radio.The station had long been known as KLSX before the call sign changed on June 30, 2009....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Listeners jammed the station's switchboard during the first simulcast with mostly negative calls about the change. Stern rivaled with the KLOS
KLOS
KLOS is an FM rock music radio station based in Los Angeles, California, that debuted in 1969. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. It is home to the nationally broadcast Mark & Brian radio show, and Off The Record host Uncle Joe Benson.-History:...
morning team of Mark and Brian, who for three years had the area's top-rated program. In January 1992, Stern reached the number one spot in New York by overtaking the news station WINS
WINS (AM)
WINS , known on-air as "Ten-Ten Wins", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. WINS's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, and transmitting towers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.WINS is one of the nation's oldest...
, who had enjoyed a ten-year reign. He was reaching over one million listeners a week there, and hosted a live victory parade in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
to celebrate. In October 1992, Stern became the first person to have the number one show in New York and Los Angeles simultaneously, as he acquired a 9.5% market share in New York and 6.4% in Los Angeles. His victory funeral for Mark and Brian was held in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Palace Theatre in November 1992. By this time, advertisers in New York were charged as much as $3,000 per minute, and $1,500 in Los Angeles, for a one-minute commercial on the show. Following his 1992 debut on WNCX
WNCX
WNCX — branded 98.5 WNCX — is commercial radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, broadcasting a classic rock format. The station's studios are currently located in Cleveland's historic Halle Building, in the Playhouse Square District...
in Cleveland, Stern took the station from thirteenth in mornings to first place in under two years. On June 10, 1994, during the city's funeral broadcast William Alford, an engineer of competing station WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
, cut a wire used for the show's satellite feed which stopped the broadcast temporarily. Alford was later sentenced to ten days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
In June 1994, robotic cameras were installed in the WXRK studio to film the radio show for a condensed half-hour program on E!. Howard Stern ran for 11 years until the last original episode aired on July 8, 2005. In conjunction with his move to satellite radio, Stern launched Howard Stern on Demand, a subscription-based video-on-demand service, on November 18, 2005. The service was relaunched as Howard TV on March 16, 2006.
On December 7, 1994, Stern made national news by preventing a man from committing suicide who was to jump off the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
. Caller Emilio Bonilla was kept on the line for five minutes until Port Authority Police, whose tour commander was listening to the show, took Bonilla into custody. Bonilla was charged with cocaine possession, reckless endangerment and was taken to hospital. Senator Al D'Amato
Al D'Amato
Alfonse Marcello "Al" D'Amato is an American lawyer and former New York politician. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999.-Early life and family:...
and Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
, former-Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
, called in to congratulate Stern.
Selena, Canada, and Columbine controversies (1995–1999)
On April 3, 1995, three days after the shooting of singer SelenaSelena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
, a rift in the Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
community occurred after Stern commented on her music and Spanish people. After a song of hers was played with gunshot sound effects, Stern said "Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth. Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
have more soul." He called one of her records "awful music that could only be popular with that segment of society." Callers from KEGL in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
jammed the station's switchboards. The League of United Latin American Citizens
League of United Latin American Citizens
The League of United Latin American Citizens was created to combat the discrimination that Hispanics face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence...
attempted to get Stern off the air, while listeners called for boycotts against his advertisers. Stern responded to the reaction with a statement in Spanish, arguing that his comments were not intended to cause pain to her family, friends and loved ones. Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
Eloy Cano of Harlingen, Texas
Harlingen, Texas
Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than , and is the second largest city in Cameron County and the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley...
issued an arrest warrant on Stern for disorderly conduct, which remained in place a year after the incident.
The Howard Stern Show was syndicated to 26 stations nationwide by the end of 1995, and was the subject of two Billboard awards for Network/Syndicated Program of the Year in the modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
and mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
categories in 1996. In February 1996, Stern announced the Howard Stern Radio Network, an agreement that let him form a network consisting of radio personalities that he approved. Stations would be able to choose shows from a 24-hour menu or carry the network's programming around the clock. By the end of 1996, the show aired on 34 stations.
The show aired on Canadian airwaves for the first time on September 2, 1997 to CHOM
CHOM-FM
CHOM-FM is an English language radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Owned and operated by Astral Media, it broadcasts on 97.7 MHz from the Mount Royal candelabra tower, with an effective radiated power of 41,200 watts using an omnidirectional antenna.The station has a mainstream rock...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and CILQ
CILQ-FM
CILQ-FM is a radio station, broadcasting at 107.1 FM in Toronto, Ontario. The station broadcasts a classic rock format branded as Q107 and is also available through streaming audio....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Stern's comments about French people
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and their language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
caused a rift with some listeners. "There is something about the language that turns you into a pussy-assed jack off. Anybody who speaks French is a scum bag. It turns you into a coward. Just like in World War II, they would not stick up for us. Screw your culture and we're invading you all." Ratings for the two stations increased nonetheless by 62% and 47% respectively. Following listener complaints and censorship enforced by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is an independent, non-governmental organization created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to administer standards established by its members, Canada's private broadcasters....
and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the show was cancelled in Montreal in 1998 and in Toronto in 2001.
A day after the Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
in Littleton, Colorado
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
on April 20, 1999, Stern's comments regarding the incident drew criticism from some listeners. "There were some really good looking girls running out with their hands over their heads...Did [the suspects] try to have sex with any of the good looking girls?...At least if you are going to kill yourself and kill all the kids, why wouldn't you have some sex?...If I was going to kill some people, I'd take them out with sex". Hundreds complained to KXPK
KXPK
KXPK, "Radio Tri-Color", is a regional Mexican radio station serving the Denver-Boulder area of Colorado, USA. The Entravision station broadcasts at 96.5 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW and is licensed to Evergreen, Colorado.-History:...
, the show's affiliate in Denver. Stern argued his comments were taken out of context, and accused critics of being overly sensitive. "I dared to ask if kids had sex. So what? That's how I think. I had zero intent to make fun of the situation. The point in making that comment was an attempt to try to understand a motive. We didn't know anything about motives [the morning after] and were trying to consider all possibilities".
Stern made headlines after former child star Dana Plato
Dana Plato
Dana Michelle Plato was an American actress notable for playing the role of Kimberly Drummond in the U.S. television sitcom Diff'rent Strokes.Plato appeared in over 100 television commercials as a young girl...
commited suicide one day after visiting the show. Plato had been living in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, surrounded by rumours of her sexuality and drug abuse, which became the biggest topic of the interview. After telling Stern she had been sober for over a decade and denying rumours about her lesbian relationship, some callers accused her of lying. At some point Stern suggested that Plato do a urinalysis
Urinalysis
A urinalysis , also known as Routine and Microscopy , is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis...
to prove them wrong, while Plato agreed to give a hair sample for analysis. Plato was crying several times, mostly while offering her gratitude to callers who believed everything she had said. Stern also asked her if she had ever considered suicide to which she replied, "Hell no. I've got a beautiful boy. I'm OK in my skin. I'm OK with who I am." Plato died of a drug overdose the day after.
Jackie Martling leaves, Artie Lange and 9/11 attacks (2000–2003)
Doug Stanhope
Douglas Gene "Doug" Stanhope is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author known for his abrasive comedy routines.-Life and career:Stanhope quit high school after his freshman year...
, Richard Jeni
Richard Jeni
Richard John Colangelo , better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni, was an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:...
, Jim Florentine
Jim Florentine
James "Jim" Florentine is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, comedian, voice artist, and performer...
, A.J. Benza, and Ron Zimmerman were among the participants. In October, comedian and actor Artie Lange
Artie Lange
Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
joined the show full-time.
Stern aired live during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and continued to broadcast with most of his staff
The Howard Stern Show staff
Throughout its nearly 30 year run The Howard Stern Show has gone through a number of staff members and contributors.-Current staff:These staffers currently work for and appear on the show on a regular, if not hourly basis.-Howard Stern:...
until around 12:15 pm. The live reporting was one of the first for those listening across the country, with callers sharing their own experiences. In September 2006, a 90-minute special featuring the staff and their recollections of the day aired on Howard TV, titled 9.11.01: A Retrospective.
Departure from terrestrial radio (2004–2005)
On February 27, 2004, John Melendez left the show to become the announcer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Stern accused Leno of stealing his segments such as goofy red carpet interviews and booking Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, a member of the show's Wack Pack. On March 17, a "Win John's Job" contest was announced that allowed regular contributors and callers the opportunity to replace Melendez. Richard ChristyRichard Christy
Thomas Richard Christy is an American musician and radio personality who currently works on The Howard Stern Show. Christy began to work on the show after winning the "Get John's Job" contest on July 1, 2004. He is known for his prank calls, song parodies, personality, and stunts performed on the...
, a former electrician and drummer of various death
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands including Iced Earth
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
and Death, won with 30% of the listener vote. Former stockbroker Sal Governale, the runner-up with 24%, was also hired in September.
On February 26, 2004, Stern was cancelled on six stations owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
after a caller used the word "nigger" when asking Rick Salomon
Rick Salomon
Richard Allan "Rick" Salomon is a film producer, celebutante, and online gambling website owner known for his relationships with various female celebrities, including E.G. Daily, Shannen Doherty, Paris Hilton, and Pamela Anderson....
if he ever had sex with a black person the day before. Following the issue of a $495,000 fine to Clear Channel by the FCC, which cited sexual discussions on a show from 2003, Stern was removed permanently on the six stations. Stern returned to four of the six markets that he was suspended from, including five new ones, on Infinity-owned stations on July 19.
On October 6, 2004, Stern announced his five-year contract with Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
, a subscription-based satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
service, free from the FCC's regulations. A contributing factor in the decision was the aftermath of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
Super Bowl XXXVIII, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004 from Houston, Texas on the CBS television network in the United States, was noted for a controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a...
which began the tightening of censorship and regulation in broadcasting. The deal, worth approximately $100 million a year for all costs, included a bonus stock payment of $83 million for Stern in January 2007 for surpassing subscriber goals set in 2004. Promotion of Sirius met with controversy as Stern mentioned the service on air, instructing listeners in purchasing receivers and subscriptions. In one incident, Farid Suleman
Farid Suleman
Farid Suleman has been the chairman and CEO of Citadel Broadcasting since March 2002. He previously spent 16 years working for Infinity Broadcasting Corporation , owned by Viacom ....
of Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
billed Stern $200,000 for the continual advertising mentions. On November 8, 2005, Stern was suspended for one day for excessive promotion of the service.
Stern hosted his final show on terrestrial radio on December 16, 2005. A stage was built outside the studio for Stern, his colleagues
The Howard Stern Show staff
Throughout its nearly 30 year run The Howard Stern Show has gone through a number of staff members and contributors.-Current staff:These staffers currently work for and appear on the show on a regular, if not hourly basis.-Howard Stern:...
and Wack Pack
The Wack Pack
The Wack Pack is the name given to a wide assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of The Howard Stern Show. As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, they are a considerable part of what the radio show became notable for...
members to make their farewell speeches. In his closing speech, Stern thanked the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, dedicating the show to Sergeant Keith Manning, a friend who at the time was serving in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. When off the air, Stern traveled to the Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
on an open-top bus and met Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
, who was broadcasting on her own Sirius channel, Martha Stewart Living Radio
Martha Stewart Living Radio
Martha Stewart Living Radio is a 24 hour satellite radio station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 110 produced by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The station airs a variety of programming hosted by the company's team of experts, covering topics related to the domestic arts, including day and date...
. Stern's contract with Infinity Broadcasting expired at midnight on December 31. The show was syndicated to as many as 60 markets across the United States and Canada, and gained a peak audience of 20 million listeners. In the New York market the show was the highest-rated morning program consecutively for seven years between 1994 and 2001. Stern's successor in various East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
affiliates, The David Lee Roth Show
The David Lee Roth Show
The David Lee Roth Show was a short-lived syndicated morning radio program in 2006.-History:It began airing on January 3, 2006. The show was produced by CBS Radio as part of its Free FM format, and was based out of WFNY-FM in New York City...
, attracted a market share of 1.8% in January 2006, which was down from 7.9% that Stern acquired a month previous. Stern was replaced with The Adam Carolla Show on numerous West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
affiliates, and Rover's Morning Glory
Rover's Morning Glory
Rover’s Morning Glory is a syndicated hot-talk radio show airing weekday mornings Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET on 100.7 FM WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio. Hosted by Rover , the show is distributed by Clear Channel and features a blended discussion of current events and pop culture,...
in mostly Midwestern
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
markets.
Sirius XM (2006–present)
The Howard Stern Show made its debut broadcast on Sirius on January 9, 2006. The show began with Also sprach Zarathustra with added flatulence sound effects. George TakeiGeorge Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
then introduced himself as the show's new announcer. 180,000 Sirius radios were activated a day before. Stern read out the list of revelations for the show's "Revelations Game", where staff told an unknown secret about themselves.
In May 2006, Stern claimed he had received offers from three major companies to return to terrestrial radio. Although he would never return, Stern did mention that it would be "cool to go back and kick their asses." Although none of the three were released, media organizations released that Stern was "thinking" of his return. To clear up the rumors, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
were called on-air on May 10. "The story is I wouldn't do terrestrial radio for any reason", said Stern. Rumors once again arose in September 2006 that Stern would be returning, and were once again denied by Stern and Sirius. Sirius representative Patrick Reilly told United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
that there were never "any discussions of Howard Stern in any way, shape, or form being anything but exclusive to Sirius. Published reports suggesting otherwise are wrong."
Stern announced on June 7, 2006 that the lawsuit settlement with CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
finally gave Sirius the exclusive rights to his entire back catalog of broadcasts from at WXRK, totalling almost 23,000 hours. It was reported that Sirius agreed to pay CBS $2 million for the rights, equating to around $87 per-hour of tape. On December 2, 2009, it was announced that every tape had been digitized on a server taking up multiple terabytes of data.
On December 9, 2010, Stern announced the signing of a new five-year contract with Sirius which will end in late 2015.
FCC fines
From 1990 to 2004, the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) has fined owners of radio stations that carried The Howard Stern Show a total of $2.5 million for indecent programming.
Show staff
Current- Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
– host - Robin QuiversRobin QuiversRobin Ophelia Quivers is an American radio personality, most notable for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in nursing. In 1975, she joined the United States Air Force...
– co-host, news anchor - Fred NorrisFred NorrisEric Fred Norris is an American radio personality known for being the longest-tenured staff member of The Howard Stern Show aside from Stern himself...
– sound effects, writer, performer - Gary Dell'AbateGary Dell'AbateGary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
– executive producer - Benjy Bronk – writer
- Scott Salem – engineer
- Richard ChristyRichard ChristyThomas Richard Christy is an American musician and radio personality who currently works on The Howard Stern Show. Christy began to work on the show after winning the "Get John's Job" contest on July 1, 2004. He is known for his prank calls, song parodies, personality, and stunts performed on the...
– writer, performer - Sal Governale – writer, performer
- Tracy Millman - manager
- Jason Kaplan – associate producer
- Lisa GlasbergLisa GlasbergLisa Glasberg is a radio News person. Glasberg was born on June 6, 1956 and grew up in Woodmere, Long Island, New York. She graduated from Hewlett High School in 1974...
- reporter - Will Murray – associate producer, researcher
- Jon HeinJon HeinJon Hein is an American radio personality and former webmaster. He created the now-defunct website jumptheshark.com and currently works for The Howard Stern Show. Hein is an alumnus of the University of Michigan where he appeared in the sketch comedy troupe Comedy Company with Jon Glaser...
- associate producer, co-host of The Wrap-up Show - JD Harmeyer – media content producer
- Shuli Egar - reporter
- Steve Brandano - junior producer, host of The Intern Show
- George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
– announcer
Former
- Jackie MartlingJackie MartlingJohn Coger "Jackie" Martling, Jr. is an American comedian, comedy writer and radio personality. He is best known for being a writer on The Howard Stern Show from 1983 to 2001.-Early life and career:...
– comedian - Artie LangeArtie LangeArthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
– comedian - Billy WestBilly WestWilliam Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival...
– impressionist - Al Rosenberg – writer, performer
- John MelendezJohn MelendezJohn Edward Melendez , commonly known as "Stuttering John," is an American television writer and former radio personality. Prior to his work on television as a writer and announcer, Melendez was a regular on-air personality on The Howard Stern Show...
– writer, performer - Lee Davis – producer
- KC Armstrong – associate producer
Some former interns
- Steve Grillo
- Mitch FatelMitch FatelMitch Fatel is a stand-up comedian in New York. He was raised in Yonkers, New York and began doing stand-up at the age of 15. In 1988 Fatel attended NYU/Tisch School of the Arts and majored in Film and Acting Studies. Around this time Mitch was an intern on the Howard Stern show...
The Wack Pack
The Wack Pack are a group of people featured on the show that tend to be unusual in some way, such as a disability, ability, or a person's appearance. Not every regular guest is considered a "Wack Packer", nor are any of the show's staff. Some have gained notoriety for personal appearances and have played small roles in films or television programs. The "Wack Pack" name was formally chosen for the group in 1990. Stern names the first members of the Wack Pack in Private Parts, including Irene the Leather Weather Lady, who is essentially the first having met Stern in 1980.- Ass-Napkin Ed
- BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice (entertainer)Lester Napoleon Green , known legally as Beetlejuice , is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and a member of Stern's Wack Pack. He has appeared in feature films as well as performed voice-over work...
- Big Black
- Bigfoot (Mark Shaw, Jr.)
- "Bigfoot" Matthew McGroryMatthew McGroryMatthew McGrory was an American actor, known for his great height.-Early life:McGrory was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. McGrory studied pre-law at Widener University, where he resided in campus housing on the first floor of Howell Hall. Studied Criminal Justice at West Chester University....
(deceased) - Blue Iris (deceased)
- Bobo
- CelestineCelestine Tate HarringtonCelestine Tate Harrington was a quadriplegic street musician who was well known for playing the keyboard with her lips and tongue on the Atlantic City boardwalk.- Biography :...
(deceased) - Cliff Palate (deceased)
- Crackhead Bob
- Crazy Alice
- Daniel CarverDaniel CarverDaniel Carver was the Imperial Wizard and Grand Dragon of the "Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan," a branch of the Klan operating in Georgia...
- Debbie the Pet Lady
- "Elegant" Elliot Offen
- Eric the MidgetEric the MidgetEric Lynch , better known as Eric the Midget or Eric the Bedhumper, is known solely as a fan of The Howard Stern Show. He is considered a part of the Wack Pack, though membership is unofficial. Lynch is tall, weighs , and uses a motorized wheelchair, in addition to various other afflictions...
- Fred the Elephant Boy
- Gary the Retard
- Graveyard Greg
- Ham Hands Bill
- Hank the Angry Drunken DwarfHank the Angry Drunken DwarfHenry Joseph Nasiff Jr. , better known as Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, was an American entertainer. He appeared numerous times on The Howard Stern Show as a member of the show's Wack Pack. He began August 16, 1996 when he entered the studio of radio station WXRK in New York City...
(deceased) - High Pitch Eric
- Hillbilly Jack
- Irene the Leather Weather Lady
- Jeff the Drunk
- Jeff "the Vomit Guy" Levy
- John the Stutterer
- Kenneth Keith Kallenbach (deceased)
- King of All Blacks
- Mark the Bagger
- Mariann from Brooklyn
- Melrose Larry Green
- Miss Howard Stern (Andrea Ownbey)
- Nicole BassNicole BassNicole Bass-Fuchs is an American bodybuilder, actress, pornographic dominatrix actress, professional wrestler and valet previously working for companies such as Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation, XPW, and the National Wrestling Alliance.-Bodybuilding career:Nicole Bass...
- Rappin' Granny
- Siobhan the Transsexual
- Sour Shoes (Michael DelCampo)
- Speech Impediment Man
- "Underdog Lady" Suzanne MuldowneySuzanne MuldowneySuzanne Muldowney is a performance artist best known for her appearances on The Howard Stern Show to discuss and perform her dance interpretation of the cartoon character Underdog.-History:...
- Wendy the Retard
- Will the Farter
- Yucko the ClownYucko the ClownRoger Black is an insult comedian known for his character Yucko the Clown.Yucko is a regular guest on The Howard Stern Show.He is also known for starring in The DAMN! Show along with fellow writer and creator Waco O'Guin and MTV2 series Stankervision, which included sketches from The DAMN! Show,...
(Roger Black)
Theme music
Opening- "The Great American Nightmare" by Rob ZombieRob ZombieRob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
and Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
(since 1999) - "Tilt a Whirl" by Jimmie VaughanJimmie VaughanJames Lawrence "Jimmie" Vaughan is an American blues rock guitarist and singer from Dallas, Texas, United States. He is the older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan....
(1994–1998) - "In a Mellow ToneIn a Mellow Tone"In a Mellow Tone", also known as "In a Mellotone", is a 1939 jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Milt Gabler. The song was based on the 1917 standard "Rose Room" by Art Hickman and Harry Williams...
" by Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
(~1987–1994) - "H.O.W.A.R.D S.T.E.R.N." by The Double-O Zeros (~1985)
- "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" by Napoleon XIVNapoleon XIVNapoleon XIV was the pseudonym of the American singer-songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels , who achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Samuels also wrote The Shelter of Your Arms, a top 20 hit for Sammy Davis, Jr...
(~1982)
Closing
- "Tortured ManTortured Man"Tortured Man" is a 1997 song by Howard Stern with The Dust Brothers that originally featured on the soundtrack for Stern's 1997 film Private Parts...
" by Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
and The Dust Brothers (since 1999)