Howard the Stuck
I'm sorry, but I think this is really funny.
Howard Stern ("the King of all media") is angry and lashing out at his fan base for not following him to satellite radio. As in the case of a young man that works with me, $12.99 per month was too much to hear Howard talk dirty to stippers. Howard was very easily replaced on the radio dial.
There's a lot of reasons I don't like satellite radio or Howard, most come from my days in Radio. Satellite will eventually destroy local radio (thanks in no small part to the National Association of Broadcaster's blind stupidity). I suppose it will go the way of free TV. It's still there but few people don't have a cable box.
As for Howard, I have listened to his show a handful of times and have never been impressed. The majority of the people I know that like him do so because he "talks dirty". Every once in a while, you get the "Howard is brilliant, the voice of a new generation that believes in free speech and self-expression and ..blah blah blah". There are plenty of guys on the dial out there that DO fit that description and that do shows a thousand times better than Howard Stern's crap. I only recently discovered that Bob Rivers is here in Seattle and he does a great show which goes off-color at times, but is nowhere near the trainwreck that is a Stern show.
Don't get me wrong, but I do agree with Howard on what a bunch of shitheads the FCC are. Thank God I got out of Radio before that nonsense with Janet Jackson hit. Radio was in trouble long before that though. If you want to know why commercial Radio sucks, you can thank Bill Clinton and the total backdoor deal that was the 1996 Telecom Bill he so gleefully signed. (It's a long story if you ever want to hear it.)
So at the heart of it, I guess this is a statement on America. Stern, who's ratings were falling prior to his satellite move, believed America was so addicted to his schtick, that they'd pay anything to listen to even worse language and content. America, to our seldom recognized credit, wasn't that interested. Stern's broadcast Radio show was like a wreck on the side of the highway that a lot of people will stop to look at as they drive by, but few will actually leave their homes to go look at.
Howard Stern ("the King of all media") is angry and lashing out at his fan base for not following him to satellite radio. As in the case of a young man that works with me, $12.99 per month was too much to hear Howard talk dirty to stippers. Howard was very easily replaced on the radio dial.
There's a lot of reasons I don't like satellite radio or Howard, most come from my days in Radio. Satellite will eventually destroy local radio (thanks in no small part to the National Association of Broadcaster's blind stupidity). I suppose it will go the way of free TV. It's still there but few people don't have a cable box.
As for Howard, I have listened to his show a handful of times and have never been impressed. The majority of the people I know that like him do so because he "talks dirty". Every once in a while, you get the "Howard is brilliant, the voice of a new generation that believes in free speech and self-expression and ..blah blah blah". There are plenty of guys on the dial out there that DO fit that description and that do shows a thousand times better than Howard Stern's crap. I only recently discovered that Bob Rivers is here in Seattle and he does a great show which goes off-color at times, but is nowhere near the trainwreck that is a Stern show.
Don't get me wrong, but I do agree with Howard on what a bunch of shitheads the FCC are. Thank God I got out of Radio before that nonsense with Janet Jackson hit. Radio was in trouble long before that though. If you want to know why commercial Radio sucks, you can thank Bill Clinton and the total backdoor deal that was the 1996 Telecom Bill he so gleefully signed. (It's a long story if you ever want to hear it.)
So at the heart of it, I guess this is a statement on America. Stern, who's ratings were falling prior to his satellite move, believed America was so addicted to his schtick, that they'd pay anything to listen to even worse language and content. America, to our seldom recognized credit, wasn't that interested. Stern's broadcast Radio show was like a wreck on the side of the highway that a lot of people will stop to look at as they drive by, but few will actually leave their homes to go look at.
posted by Mkae at
9:21 PM
2 Comments:
If something you are giving away for free is slipping in popularity, why would you think that charging for it will help?
That's like saying, "Tournament attendance is down, what if we start charging them a dollar each?"
Just doesn't make sense.
By
Shocho, at 8:14 AM
I agree that Stern's stuff is crap, but I do love satellite radio. Interested in your take on it since you were in the biz.
I can't stand to listen to my local FM, nothing but commercials and lack of variety compared to satellite. FM should go bye-bye, they've been trumped by a better "product" in my view. I have no problem shelling out .43 cents a day for good music/talk/sports/comedy etc. that is mostly uncensored and commercial free. 5 minutes of commercials on a 45 minute drive is worth at least $1 to me.
There are some great podcasts about the downfall of FM too :-)
By
Dave(id), at 9:27 PM
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