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Howard Allen Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and TV personality, media mogul, humorist, actor, and author.

Howard Stern currently hosts The Howard Stern Show four days a week (Monday-Thursday) on Howard 100, a Sirius Satellite Radio station. On Fridays, Stern airs archive material under the name 'Mastertape Theatre.' Replays of the show can be heard throughout the day on Howard 100 and various times on Howard 101.

The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" (a humorous reference to Michael Jackson's appellation "The King of Pop") has been dubbed a shock jock for his highly controversial use of scatological, sexual and racial humor. Stern has said that the show was never about shocking people, but primarily intended to offer his honest opinions on a gamut of issues (ranging from world affairs to problems among his own staff). Though controversial, he is one of the highest-paid radio personalities in the United States and the most fined personality in radio broadcast history.

He is best known for his national radio show, which for many years was syndicated on FM radio stations (and a few AM stations) throughout the United States until his last terrestrial radio broadcast on December 16, 2005. He began broadcasting on the subscription-based Sirius satellite radio service on January 9, 2006.

In addition to radio, Stern has ventured into publishing, television, feature films, and music. He has written two books, Private Parts, which he adapted into a film, and Miss America. Stern's television endeavors include a variety show on New York City's WWOR-TV, a nightly E! show documenting his radio broadcasts, a similar CBS program that competed with Saturday Night Live for a time, "Howard On-Demand" for digital cable subscribers in various markets, and Son of the Beach, a parody of Baywatch for FX which Stern executive produced.

In 2006, Howard Stern was elected into Time Magazine's "Time 100: The People who shape our world" and was ranked #7 in Forbes Magazine's 2006 annual Celebrity 100.NewsMax.com Magazine's "Top 25 Talk Radio Host" list selected Stern as the thirteenth most influential host in the nation.

Early life

Howard Stern was born into a Jewish American family in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York. His father Ben Stern owned a Manhattan recording studio, where Howard developed an interest in broadcasting as a child. Although both his parents are Jewish, Stern has long claimed on his show to be a "half-Jew" (the other half being Italian). This claim is apparently a running gag, as Stern sometimes mutters Yiddish phrases on the air which he claims to be Italian phrases. Stern's Hebrew name is Tzvi; his paternal grandparents, Froim and Anna (Gallar) Stern and maternal grandparents, Sol and Esther (Reich) Schiffman, were Austro-Hungarian Jews who immigrated to America at about the same time.

Stern often said that his parents verbally "abused" him as a child, which was corroborated during a 1990 broadcast when he played old family recordings, many of which have become oft-played soundbites, including remarks such as "I told you not to be stupid, you moron" and "Shut up! Sit down!" being screamed at a 7-year-old Howard. These old recordings were later used in a parody commercial for the "Ben Stern School of Broadcasting", which specialized in producing self-loathing and emotionally disturbed workaholic media leaders. Stern said his mother ran her house with "the intensity of Hitler" and that his father often called him a moron. However, he has also said that such exaggerated claims were part of his schtick and that his parents were actually warm, loving and supportive.

Stern attended Roosevelt Junior High School, where he was supposedly one of the few white students in a predominantly African American school. During a 1992 special, Howard Stern's former gym teacher ('Mr. Chestnut') mentioned that the school's student body was 60% black, indicating Stern's claims to be an exaggeration. When Stern's family moved in 1969, he transferred to South Side High School, where he graduated in 1972 . In 1976, he received a bachelor's degree in communications from Boston University, carrying a 3.8 GPA and also working (before being fired) as a volunteer at the campus radio station WTBU. Stern now funds a scholarship at Boston University.

On June 4, 1978, Stern married college sweetheart Alison Berns at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Massachusetts. They have three daughters: Emily Beth (b. 1983), Deborah Jennifer (b. 1986) and Ashley Jade (b. 1993). A hallmark of Stern's humor was his claiming to be tempted by the strippers, porn stars and lesbians appearing on his show, but always insisted that he had to be faithful to his wife.

Terrestrial radio career

After graduation, he worked as a disc jockey and program director for WRNW in Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, New York, playing rock music. He discovered a talent for Lenny Bruce-type comedy, and developed a wide-ranging confrontational style. In 1978, Stern landed his first morning show job in Hartford, Connecticut at WCCC-FM and WCCC-AM, whose progressive rock format promoted Howard's development as a "free-form" personality. Radio station owner, Sy Dresner thought Stern's use of phone calls (as radio personality Don Imus was doing then) was a natural ratings appeal. It was at the Hartford radio station that Howard met his future show writer and producer, Fred Norris, who was working as an overnight deejay at the time.

Stern moved to FM radio station WWWW (aka W4) in Detroit, Michigan, further developing his show until the station adopted a country music format, and then went to DC101 in Washington, D.C. for a year, making it the #1 station in town. In 1982, he returned to New York City to work at NBC's flagship AM radio station, WNBC Radio. Also working at NBC was David Letterman, who became a fan of Stern's radio show. Stern's guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on June 19, 1984, launched Stern into the national spotlight and gave his radio show unprecedented exposure. Stern would appear on Letterman's show many times thereafter.

Stern and his crew were fired from NBC in 1985, ostensibly in response to a particularly outrageous sketch — "Beastiality Dial-A-Date" — although relations between station management and Stern had been strained from the beginning (as well documented from Private Parts). He quickly returned to FM radio by joining local rival station WXRK, premiering November 18, 1985, moving permanently to the morning drive time slot in February 1986. By year's end, his show was simulcast on WYSP in Philadelphia; before long it was also heard in Washington, D.C., and then was syndicated nationwide by Infinity Broadcasting. The program made great sport of feuding with other cities' top-rated deejays, and soon Stern's broadcast was #1 in several major markets, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. His Arbitron numbers were strongest in the country's #1 radio market, New York City, where his morning ratings more than tripled his station's average numbers the rest of the day.

In 1994, Stern embarked on a political campaign for Governor of New York, formally announcing his candidacy under the Libertarian Party ticket. Although he legally qualified for the office and campaigned for a time after his nomination, many considered his gubernatorial run a publicity stunt. His platform included restoring the death penalty, limiting road construction work to nighttime hours, and abolishing tolls. After he accomplished his platform's goals he planned on resigning the post. However, he subsequently withdrew his candidacy because he did not wish to comply with the financial disclosure requirements for candidates.

In 1997, he starred in Private Parts, a biographical film chronicling his rise to success. The film is based on his 1993 autobiography Private Parts. The film premiered at the top of the box office in its opening weekend with a gross of $14.6 million. It grossed slightly more than $41 million in total.

The movie received mostly positive reviews from critics, including Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, who were frequent guests of Stern's radio show. Some critics claimed the film glossed over his use of sexual and racial humor.

For his performance, Stern won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Male Newcomer. The awards are given based on write-in votes from fans, and Stern won by a wide margin. Stern was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy). He was also nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst New Star.

In October 1999, Stern announced that he and wife Alison decided to separate. They eventually divorced, ending in a settlement. Stern began a period of single living in Manhattan, and dated dozens of women including Angie Everhart and Robin Givens. Despite reportedly spending time with Carmen Electra "five times" (as revealed on the July 29, 2002 broadcast), the two have denied there was anything more intimate than an outdoor shower in bathing suits. Since early 2000, Stern has dated model Beth Ostrosky, who is 18 years his junior. Ostrosky frequently appears in the men's magazine FHM, and hosts Filter on the G4 network. The pair live together with their English Bulldog named Bianca Romijn-Stamos-O'Connell.

Satellite radio career

On October 6, 2004, Stern announced on his show that he had signed a five-year deal with the satellite radio service Sirius. Sirius provided a budget of $500 million to pay Howard, his staff and general production costs. His salary has not been revealed. Other media sources have claimed that Stern netted a $225 million one-time stock bonus for meeting subscriber quotas, which he did meet in January 2006.

Stern stated that he was growing increasingly unhappy doing his show on terrestrial radio. The combined stresses of heavy censorship and editing by management as well as lengthy commercial breaks weighed into his decision to start anew on Sirius. Stern admitted to feeling "dead inside creatively" in December, 2005 while still on terrestrial radio..

The Sirius deal, which took effect on January 1, 2006, enabled Stern to broadcast his show without the content restrictions imposed by the FCC. Moreover, the deal also enabled Stern to program an additional Sirius channel.

On February 28, 2006, CBS Radio announced it had filed a lawsuit against Stern, Stern's agent Don Buchwald, and Sirius Satellite Radio, saying Stern used CBS's airwaves to unfairly promote the satellite service and enrich himself. The lawsuit also claims that Stern "repeatedly and willfully" breached his contract with CBS, "misappropriated millions of dollars worth of … airtime" for his own benefit, and "fraudulently concealed" his performance-related interests in Sirius stock. The suit, filed in New York state court, sought compensatory and punitive damages. Not to be outdone, Stern earlier in the day (prior to CBS's announcement) held a press conference at which he mentioned that CBS added to the media attention, booking him for appearances on Late Show with David Letterman and its news magazine show 60 Minutes. "I made them millions of dollars. If I was hurting them, why did they keep me on the air for 14 months?" Stern said. "How can you have it both ways?"

Leslie Moonves appeared on one of Stern's final shows to compliment him on his move to Sirius and thank him for the record advertising revenue the network sold. Moonves told Stern that he bought Sirius stock. Stern said the network had the option to "push the button" on his program, taking him off the air, if they did not agree with what he was presenting to the public.

On May 11, 2006, CBS said it was near settling the lawsuit with Stern. "We have an agreement, but there are details that have to be worked out," said CBS lawyer Irvin Nathan . Some details of the agreement were officially announced May 26.

As a result of the CBS lawsuit settlement, Stern announced on June 7, 2006 that Sirius gained exclusive rights to his entire back catalog of radio shows from his days at CBS (about 23,000 hours). The shows cost Stern approximately $2 million, which equates to approximately $87 per hour of tape. Sirius has the rights to the tapes until the end of Stern's current contract with Sirius, and then all ownership rights will return to Stern.

Criticism

Stern is a polarizing figure in the entertainment industry. While beloved amongst his fans, he is loathed by his critics . In 2005 aides to former FCC Commissioner Michael Powell admitted that Stern is a lightning rod (for FCC action), while entertainers like Oprah who also discuss issues like sexuality are "untouchable".

Government

The FCC has fined stations for content on the Howard Stern Show upwards of $5 million dollars since 1990.

Selective prosecution

Stern feels that he has been selectively targeted by the FCC. Though this defense has never been used against the agency, some legal scholars believe that Stern's case passes the selective prosecution test and that the FCC's regulation of indecency is not proper. However, in a 2004 interview the FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein stated that the FCC was not out to drive Stern off the air and was just enforcing the law. "I don't think it's a necessary outcome that good content is driven away from the radio," Adelstein told Billboard Radio Monitor.

Watchdog Groups

Media watchdog groups have been especially aggressive in attacking The Howard Stern Show, and Stern personally. Jack Thompson, a Florida attorney, has stated he thinks Stern should be in jail.. The Parents Television Council headed by Brent Bozell has been one of Stern's chief critics, organizing write-in campaigns to the FCC and frequently appearing on television to speak against Stern.

See also

• Howard 100
• Sirius Satellite Radio
• List of celebrity guests on the Howard Stern show
• The Wack Pack
• Howard 100 News

Notes

1. David Spade (May 2006). "Howard Stern New King of Satellite". Time Magazine. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities Forbes.com, June 2006
3. http://www.newsmax.com/talkradio
4. http://www.fortunecity.com/bennyhills/barr/71/shtup.wav
5. It Happened In Long Island Newsday
6. Office of Financial Aid Boston University
7. Howard Stern Biography on Sirius.com
8. Sirius Satellite Radio Inc · 8-K · For 10/1/04
9. "Howard Stern & Co. score $200M payout". CNNMoney.com. 2006-01-05. Retrieved 2006-07-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. Kurtz, Howard (December 11, 2005). "Stern on Satellite: A Bruised Flower, Blossoming Anew". The Washington Post. p. D01. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
11. CBS Radio files lawsuit against Stern, Sirius CBC March 1, 2006
12. Stern nears settlement with CBS Reutuers
13. "Stern Gets Old Tapes, CBS Gets $2M". CBS News. May 25, 2006. Retrieved July 26, 2006.
14. "Private Parts Review". Variety. March 9, 1997. Retrieved January 17,2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
15. "Need for new sets may be a turn-off". Guardian Unlimited. January 27, 2005. Retrieved January 17,2006. Howard Stern, the most loved and loathed disc jockey in the US {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
16. "FCC's Powell to NAB: Don't ask us to tell". April 20, 2004. Retrieved January 16,2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
17. ^ Sanders, Tony (Nov. 25 2005). "A catalog of FCC fines: the big chill or Howard's end.(HOWARD STERN: TRAILBLAZER IN TRANSITION)". Billboard Radio Monitor. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
18. Goldsamt, Seth (Winter 1999). "Crucified by the FCC"? Howard Stern, the FCC, and selective prosecution. (Federal Communications Commission)". Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems. 28.n2: p203-252. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
19. ^ "The Decency Police". Time. March 20, 2005. Retrieved January 16,2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

Official Sites

• Howard Stern's Official Web Site
• Howard Stern on SIRIUS official site
• Howard Stern On Demand official site
• Howard Stern at IMDb

Fan sites

• The Howardshrine Fan Site (Official)
• Stern Fan Network
• Marks Friggin (daily radio show summaries)
• Howard Stern Show Audio and Video - howardsternshow.org emphasis on prank audio and video clips from the show

Video

• Howard Stern vs. Tom Snyder
• Howard Stern Commercial : Beaver Shave
• Howard Stern Commercial : Monkey Spank
• Howard Stern Commercial : Clams
• Howard Stern interview, 1991
• Howard Stern on NBC Dateline

• American comedians
• American radio personalities
• Sirius Satellite Radio personalities
• American television talk show hosts
• Jewish American comedians
• Jewish comedy
• American libertarians
• People from Long Island
• People from Nassau County, New York
• Obscenity controversies
• 1954 births
• Living people
• Boston University alumni