Stern taken off the air?

[Brian]

I haven't listened to him all week, but I heard he got taken off the air? Anybody have any links to new reports or details or anything? Thanks,

-Brian

[Vehn]

link (http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2004/02/25/rtr1276210.html)

I would guess he's done/will retire but I have no real clue. He's been boring for a long time.

[krazyace5]

I am sure his retirement is a lock now, I can't imagine him putting up with this crap now. When you are used to having lots of freedoms of speech and then all of a sudden that is taken away it is hard to conform.

[HDPM]

All this decency BS has gone way too far. The idiotic response to the stupid Super Bowl thing is crazy. No wonder the FCC under this idiot Powell wants to consolidate licenses. They will go for big time speech bans if they can. Feh.

[B-Man]

The FCC is out of control, and the overeaction to the Janet Jackson nipple-shield is far more offensive than what she and Timberlake did.

I guess this is what they call the "chilling effect" on free speech.

Howard Stern has been doing his show for, what, 25 years? Obviously his show is not for everyone, but he shouldn't be forced off the air, which is the direction in which this is headed. If people don't like him, they shouldn't listen.

I'm not a fan of censorship. Even the KKK, Cyrus and Alger should enjoy the right to free speech.

[benfranklin]

Stern is aired on many stations across the country. Clear Channel is a holding company that owns radio stations in six big metro markets, and has been airing the Stern show. They decided to drop the show.

According to Reuters:

"Stern was pulled off radio stations in Rochester, N.Y., Pittsburgh, San Diego, Miami, Orlando, Fla., and Louisville, Ky. indefinitely, by San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel. He remains in about three dozen other U.S. markets."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=638&e=2&u=/nm/20040226/en_nm/media_stern_dc_9

Radio stations are in business to sell ads. If Sterns' mouth turns off audiences, he's history. He's a big boy, and was playing for the shock value that appealled to a certain audience.

The FCC had nothing to do with it (yet), and he is still on the air. He is just losing stations (and by implication, sponsors). If people want to listen, that's their business. I always found him to be a potty-mouth little kid, trying to shock the grownups, with no real content. I've never been able to listen for more than a few mintues. I think he will implode as stations and sponsor drop him. That's show business--emphasis on business.

[B-Man]

[ QUOTE ]
Radio stations are in business to sell ads. If Sterns' mouth turns off audiences, he's history. He's a big boy, and was playing for the shock value that appealled to a certain audience.

[/ QUOTE ]

He's No. 1 in most markets, including Pittsburgh, from where he was dropped. He'll be picked up by one of Clear Channel's competitors, and it will probably be a very profitable move for the competitor.

[ QUOTE ]
The FCC had nothing to do with it (yet),

[/ QUOTE ]

The FCC has everything to do with it. Michael Powell and his censorship drive is what started all of this. He completely overreacted to the Janet Jackson incident. Clearchannel is simply reacting to the FCC. If the FCC has nothing to do with this, then why didn't Clearchannel do this months or years ago? There was nothing more offensive on the Stern show yesterday than in the past.

[ QUOTE ]
If people want to listen, that's their business.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. Let people choose for themselves. That's the way to go, not censorship.

[ QUOTE ]
I always found him to be a potty-mouth little kid, trying to shock the grownups, with no real content.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are entitled to your opinion, and nobody is forcing you or anyone else to listen to him. I just want to have the right to choose for myself whether or not I want to listen; I don't want the FCC, Clearchannel or anyone else choosing for me.

[bernie]

you obviously have no clue about radio or what is happening.

stern is on top of most markets he's in. the FCC is being pressured by many small conservative, religious based groups to basically bring a crusade on the media about decency. funny thing is, the highest grossing programming are the shows they are railing against.

the best business they could do with him is keep him on. he makes nothing but huge bank for those stations. his advertising dollars are extremely high to get an ad on his shows. maybe ya oughtta try watching his movie. as much as many wanted to hate it, it got fantastic reviews.

it started with the way overreaction to 2 seconds of a superbowl that if you blinked you missed. followed by the congressional hearing with the idiot senator from new mexico. the bitch. followed by stern's calling her out on radio, lambasting her and her record along with just how out of touch and hypocritical she is. which was fantastic radio if you didnt tune out and miss it. he hit the nail on the head multiple times in that rant. he was dead on and was saying what every american shouldve been thinking. that seemed to really step up the pressure against radio from the FCC. what? we cant call out politicians now?

bubba the love sponge was the first casualty so far. and it was BS why he got canned. i heard the excerpt from the show that got him in trouble. i think these conservative idiots pushing these views, forcing them on everyone else, oughtta learn how to work a channel dial or an off button. they can take their religious, holier than thou views and shove it right where their leaders like to put their fingers in an altar boy.

radio is in a holding pattern at the moment. it's blatant censorship at the moment and is way out of hand. what stern got dropped for wasnt even close to the line as he has skirted before. the radio companies arent even giving a list of what the jocks can or cant say. they are getting dealt with on an as it happens basis. which is BS.

it's becoming dicatatorial. which SHOULD scare you and piss you off.

as far as radio, with what they are doing, im ashamed to be an american. sorry, but this isn't why we fought the wars. this isnt why the soldiers gave their life.

b

[Slacker13]

Are you kidding? I am in the Miami/Fort lauderdale area where Stern was axed by Clear Channel, Stern was number one in this area and has been for a long time. The sponsors are furious down here.