Howard Stern: The Real Story

Love him or hate him, Howard Stern is going to be the person that could determine the rest of your life. As reported in all the media today, Clear Channel has suspended the Howard Stern Show in certain radio markets. As of this morning, Stern, his agents, his bosses and all his associates were given no warning, no reason for the suspension, no details of number of markets effected and no time frame.

From the SF Chronicle: In announcing the new get-tough policy, Clear Channel President Mark Mays said the company is "serious about helping address the rising tide of indecency on the airwaves'' and will suspend any DJ whom the Federal Communications Commission proposes to fine.

"If we or the government ultimately determine the offending broadcast is indecent, the DJ will be terminated," Mays said.

From CNN:
"Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content, and Howard Stern's show blew right through it," Hogan said.

The statement did not outline what parts of Stern's show ran afoul of the policy or how long the suspension might last.

As regular listener to the Howard Stern Show, the timing of this suspension is just too coincidental. If you hadn't heard, there is a presidential election coming up. After 9/11, Howard was very pro-Bush and very supportive of the war in Iraq. On one hand, he's gone through so many fines in the past that in recent years he's had to really pull in the reins. Time after time he's pointed out examples that other radio DJs and TV shows have gone much farther with "indecency" than he's allowed. Last week the Stern show was on vacation and came back on Monday to discuss, for the first time, his PRO-gay marriage opinions. Thinking out loud on the air, it was the first time he pulled together the issues of Janet Jackson's boob, the firing of another DJ for indecency, the religious right's influence on government and all the other issues swirling around.

Now here's the key to the whole story. Earlier this week was the first time Howard Stern indicated that he was not going to support Bush in the next election. Now that FCC Chairman Michael Powell (Secretary of State Colin Powell's son) has deregulated rules regarding radio and TV station ownership, it's now really easy for the government to make one phone call to a large radio syndicate like Clear Channel and get an opposing voice censored.

Howard Stern has been fighting these battles for many, many years. He's made a lot of money and has tons of projects outside of radio waiting for him after his contract expires in less than two years. He's made it clear that he wants to retire and would prefer that his contract gets bought out. The sad irony of this is that if he gets pulled off the air, he will probably only give a half-hearted fight.

Please spread the following statement as much as possible: Howard Stern is being suspended for his opposition to the president, not for indecency.