ADA awaiting Clear Channels decision regarding possible signing of Howard Stern

By: American Decency Staff

The following Associated Press report captured our attention: ***************** Clear Channel interested in signing Howard Stern Jan 25, 2:12 PM (ET) By DEBORAH YAO Clear Channel Communications is interested in signing radio shock jock Howard Stern. The nation's largest radio station owner, and the home of conservatives Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, confirmed its interest in Stern to The Associated Press on Monday. Calls and e-mails to Stern's agent, Don Buchwald, and Stern's current employer, Sirius XM Radio Inc., were not immediately returned. Stern's five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius expires at the end of the year. John Hogan, CEO of Clear Channel's radio division, told Bloomberg BusinessWeek earlier that the company's interest depends on whether Stern would be willing to work within the limitations of over-the-air radio. The Federal Communications Commission restricts broadcasts of profanity and other indecent material. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100125/D9DEUQD81.html *************** For those of you that have joined with us in recent years, you may be unfamiliar with our “Howard Stern Monitoring Project.â€Â From 1996 until Stern left terrestrial radio for unregulated satellite radio in 2005, we monitored Stern’s vulgar radio show – as well as his cable television show on the E! Network – in dozens of cities across the country. Stern is notorious for fouling the airwaves with the vilest filth – hours upon hours of explicit sex talk and profanity. While filing complaints with the FCC garnered a few fines against Stern, for the most part the FCC was toothless – giving Stern just a slap on the wrist. What we found most effective was writing the advertisers who sponsored his show, giving them examples of the type of filth their company name was associated with, and encouraging them to drop their advertising from Stern. Aided by a great team of volunteers across the country who recorded the show syndicated in dozens of cities, we determined the advertisers and sent up to one thousand letters a month to sponsors – from the largest national corporation to the smallest local advertiser. And we began to see results with advertisers dropping like flies. With time stations began to cancel their contract with Stern. In 2000, seven stations dropped Stern; in 2001 nine stationed dropped, and so on. Stern took notice and frequently maligned our efforts on his radio show. We also have numerous archives from news media articles and interviews. Below are a few quotes from media reports as well as comments from Stern on his radio show. "It's business," says Dean Pearce, the station's general manager. "The advertising wouldn't support the show." … Since Stern signed on in February 1998, the show has been a hard sell for the station. "Many advertisers don't want to be associated with "The Howard Stern Show" so they either buy at the station but not the Stern show, or they don't buy at the station at all," says Walt Rosen, advertising sales manager for WAVF. Charlston, SC media report Reuters reports: "Howard Stern's weekly syndicated latenight series ended its three-year run on Saturday, a possible victim of falling ratings and racy content." (11/15/01) Indianapolis Star, April 5, 2000 "… Stern was difficult to sell to advertisers, who were pressured to pull their commercials by people who thought his show was vulgar. It takes guts for an advertiser to stand up to public pressure, and most businesses want to avoid any controversy. So let's add it up: Stern's ratings weren't great. The station couldn't make enough money selling ads to pay for the show, which costs $750,000 or more a year. The number of people listening to rock radio had been declining. …â€Â Chicago Sun Times, 08.10.00 “The Michigan-based American Decency Association's biggest target to date has been radio shock jock Howard Stern. Since 1996, the conservative Christian group has monitored Stern's show in 19 markets, including New York City, Washington, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Detroit. The group maintains a fierce letter-writing campaign to get advertisers to pull spots from the show and, ultimately, to pull Stern off the air. The group says that out of the 14,339 businesses it has contacted over the years, more than 12,500 have withdrawn as advertisers, including Dunkin' Donuts, which had been a major sponsor in New York.â€Â The Howard Stern Show 4/19/01: 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: 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 radio show – August 7, 2001 Stern: …I've certainly lost some radio stations within the last five years because of the religious right. They've targeted me and gone against me and actually ruined a lot of my advertising community – my advertising base. Robin: That has nothing to do with ratings though. Stern: So, I have suffered some loses there but it's only because I refuse to conform and refuse do a mainstream kind of show. Ya know. I'm trying to battle the FCC on the one front. And battling the religious right on the other. Every day I receive letters and smear campaigns from the religious right. The radio stations I'm on are begging me to help them. I don't know what to do about it. … Stern brought in an advertiser from Detroit to thank her (Gerri) and her husband for "standing up to the American Decency Association". Stern: But I do want to thank you for being our sponsor and standing up to the ridiculous accusations of the American Decency Association and the ridiculous pressure tactics that they put on people. You stood up to it, and I'm proud of you. Gerri: Thank you. Stern: And we should all applaud Gerri and her husband. Stern and associates: APPLAUSE. Stern: Now go out and get some anal, honey. JUNE 30, 1998 — HOWARD STERN COMMENTS about our monitoring letter writing campaign. …. This guy’s having an effect. He writes and writes and writes to  the sponsors, and they get scared. They think something’s going to happen if they … stay on our show. I’m telling each and every one of my listeners, you must support our sponsors. Send them letters that you love their product. That now that they’re on the Howard Stern Show, you will support them. Because I’m telling you, our show will be pulled off the air. This guy could win. I’ve never said that before. But he could win … You better get out there and support it.  I’m talking about every time you hear a commercial on our show and you have to buy one of those products. Don’t go to a competitor. You go to our sponsors. … That’s it. Because I’m telling you man. We are in a holy war with this guy. *************** Stern has faded out of the media spotlight with his departure to Sirius satellite radio. Will Stern be enticed to return to Clear Channel and terrestrial radio? Only time will tell. However, we do  know one thing. If Stern does return, we will, too – monitoring and holding corporate America accountable for enabling Stern’s trash to once again flood the public’s airwaves. Help us to continue to speak up for what is wholesome and God-honoring. Donate online at:https://secure4.afo.net/ada/main.php?f=donate/display9 or mail a donation to the address below. American Decency Association P.O. Box 202 Fremont MI 49412 American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ===================================


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