Howard Stern loses listeners — and influence — on satellite radio

By: Steve Huston

Quoting from the LA Times from October 13, 2008

Howard Stern loses listeners — and influence — on satellite radio
His move left him with a fraction of his previous audience and, correspondingly, fewer top celebrities appear on his show.
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/nationworld/nation/la-et-stern13-2008oct13,0,7934606.story

“The shock jock’s syndicated morning radio show once drew a national audience of 12 million, but since jumping to satellite radio three years ago, his listeners have dwindled to a fraction of that. Where once Stern routinely commanded a parade of Hollywood’s hottest stars — George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts — today publicists are left to tout studio appearances by the likes of Chevy Chase, Joan Rivers or Hulk Hogan. …”
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/nationworld/nation/la-et-stern13-2008oct13,0,7934606.story

Personal note:

This article is a great article. However, it states that it was primarily the hounding by the FCC that drove Stern off the airwaves.

If only that were true in regard to Stern and other TV or radio programs sullying the airwaves hour upon hour across this once great land that has become so degraded by pornography, indecency and obscenity over the airwaves, in part, because the FCC has no solution.

Now, I’m willing to concede that the FCC played some role, but very little as attorneys for Stern (and Stern/Infinity Broadcasting) working with the government allowed for loop holes that, more often than not, permitted Stern and his cronies to escape so-called finings paying little to nothing.

No! It was our relentless monitoring of Stern’s radio show coast to coast – day in and day out – mailing upwards of 1,000 letters a month to advertisers that caused local radio stations to flee from Stern. From the beginning of our monitoring efforts in 1996 to the winding down of our efforts in 2003, 23 radio stations stopped airing the Howard Stern radio show.

More than 15,000 advertisers who once advertised on the Howard Stern Radio Show discontinued advertising on his trashy show.

Two examples of Stern’s commentary showing his frustrations with “the religious right.”

Stern: … Ashton is on the line. He is an advertiser of mine on our St. Louis radio station.
Robin: Okay
Stern: And this is something I think everyone should be aware of that goes on, on a daily basis around our show. Ashton, you got a letter from a group, a religious group, right?
Ashton: Yeah, Bill Johnson, National Campaign Coordinator of the Stern Project..
Stern: Yeah
Robin: Oh, no! The Stern Project.
Stern: And he threatens you. He doesn’t want you to advertise.
Ashton: Right
Guest: We got the same letter about our show!
Stern: Did you?
Guest: Yeah, the same letter. And it’s written really poorly. It looks like they typed it with their feet or something like that.
Stern: Well I want to tell you guys, I want to give you some advice. These letter writers are effective. Some sponsors will cave in.
Guest: Yeah, I know.
Stern: And it’s really friggin’ sad, it’s like another form of terrorism. Certainly not as bad as the terrorism at the World Trade Center, but it’s like pressuring people not to put their dollars on a show. I mean, why?
Guest Host: What does that letter say?
Ashton: It says ‘Dear Sir/Madam, recently your company’s advertisement was heard on the Howard Stern Show. I am writing to request that you withdraw you advertising dollars from the Howard stern Show because of its perverse nature. Thousands of advertisers nationwide have decided that integrity, decency and a good name are for more important than placing advertisements with a program…’
Guest Host: We got exactly this letter.
…. [Taken from Stern Show, June 17, 1999]
Stern – JULY 30, 1997 – from the past — Stern referring to advertisers withdrawing from advertising on his program in Grand Rapids.

Stern: For everyone who listens to KLQ in Grand Rapids, listen to me carefully if you don’t want the same situation as just happened in Dallas. KLQ needs your help. Every time you hear a commercial on my station, that means you go to action. You go to that store … I don’t care who the sponsor is. If it’s a gas station you buy gas from that company. KLQ will be playing commercials throughout my show. I need you to go to these sponsors.
Robin: Take this seriously.
Stern: Petitions don’t work. I want any person spending money on KLQ to know that my listeners will be there in droves. It’s an automatic lock that you will have tons of people streaming into your establishment — restaurants, gas stations, car dealerships …. We have the #1 show there in Grand Rapids. They said it couldn’t be done. Everyone was saying that this local morning team was going to beat us. We beat ’em Now we need you listeners to support our sponsors in Grand Rapids.

American Decency Association
Bill Johnson, President
P.O. Box 202
Fremont, MI 49412
ph: 231-924-4050
https://americandecency.org

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