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The Official Howard Stern Show Thread

gdt5016 said:
I just don't really worry about it.

And, to tell the truth, if it were to come out that some/all of the calls are fake, I dont know if I would find them less funny.


As an aside,

I thought Monday's show was fantastic. The Jimmy, then Ben AND Jimmy interviews were wayyyyy awesome.

Ya, the Stiller interview was great. I'm an Artie fan but I found him particularly annoying during it.
 

gdt

Member
Just a reminder for listening (and non) GAF,

Howard is on Letterman tonight.

Check out his other appearances on the show, they're legendary.
 

AVclub

Junior Member
So I guess it's been talked about a lot, but Artie seems to have intensified his ball-busting persona since he cut out some of his vices. Personally I like it. It's fun to watch. Although it disrupts traditional interviewing techniques, and can be annoying to those looking to glean new info about their favorite celebrities, it's no different from other off-the-wall talents like Tom Green or Andy Kaufman throw a monkey wrench into the works for fun.
 

theJwac

Member
I don't know. I'm digging Artie, he's on fiyah! But seriously, he needs to be a little more humble. It really chaffs my ass when he says shit like "I'm making 30,000 this weekend motherfucker, while you're making $11/hr."
 

Salmonax

Member
I liked Artie a lot better when he was sleeping through half the show and falling apart. It seems like Howard has to wrestle the show away from him a lot of the time.
 

gdt

Member
Salmonax said:
I liked Artie a lot better when he was sleeping through half the show and falling apart. It seems like Howard has to wrestle the show away from him a lot of the time.

It seems since he got clean (apparently) he's been more of a bully and jumping in a LOT more. There have been more and more moments when Howard cuts Artie off with an "excuse me" (or something along those lines) recently. IIRC, I even heard Howard kind of snidely go "Let me speak...if I may" during a recent interview.

I don't know if I don't like Artie for it, but it's certainly a change of pace.
 
I enjoy the Stern show but I can't stand Lange, he doesn't know when to shut up and 99% of his shit isn't even close to funny. I find myself changing the station more and more. It's a shame. I'd really prefer it if he just left the show.
 

gdt

Member
Gary Whitta said:
I enjoy the Stern show but I can't stand Lange, he doesn't know when to shut up and 99% of his shit isn't even close to funny. I find myself changing the station more and more. It's a shame. I'd really prefer it if he just left the show.

Though I do wish he'd take more of a back seat (which I think Howard will tell him too sooner or later) I dont want him gone.
 

Salmonax

Member
I think Artie can still be a solid contributor, but he just needs to calm down. Let Howard run the show/interviews and jump in with the occasional potshot. Lately he has a very loosely-related story for every topic (most of which aren't great), and he steps all over guests with jokes that really aren't worth the interruption.

I'd love it if this situation came to a head on the air, but for some reason Howard is oddly nonconfrontational with Artie.

gdt5016 said:
Holy shit that was great.
I love when they nearly start tickling each other. Just madness. :lol
 

gdt

Member
Salmonax said:
I think Artie can still be a solid contributor, but he just needs to calm down. Let Howard run the show/interviews and jump in with the occasional potshot. Lately he has a very loosely-related story for every topic (most of which aren't great), and he steps all over guests with jokes that really aren't worth the interruption.

I'd love it if this situation came to a head on the air, but for some reason Howard is oddly nonconfrontational with Artie.

Bing-FUCKING-go

When Howard tells him to calm down, Artie'll talk about it weeks later on The Wrap-Up Show.

Edit: Heres the second part of Artie's appearance

http://deadspin.com/5292467/watch-artie-lange-crap-all-over-joe-bucks-first-show?autoplay=true?skyline=true&s=i
 
Salmonax said:
and he steps all over guests with jokes that really aren't worth the interruption.
Yeah I've heard him do this a few times recently, a guest will be in the middle of saying something and Lange will jump in with a totally lame wisecrack that achieves nothing but derail the guest's train of thought. I really hope Stern pulls him aside and gives him a talking to soon, if you listen to the wrap-up show it's clear that Lange is rubbing an increasing number of Stern's fans the wrong way.
 

gdt

Member
Wow thats a lot of hate. I think I kinda feel the same way about recent-Artie (though much milder obviously). He steps over Howard and guest alot more recently.

I look forward more and more to days when he's out because the show takes on a different feel. I still (mostly) enjoy him, though I just wish he'd take more of a backseat like he did until very recently.
 

gdt

Member
Well, there appears to be some controversy over the fact that Howard isn't available on the new iPhone Sirius App.

Heres an e-mail from Sirius to a poster on SFN:

Dear Andrew,

Thank you for your email regarding Howard Stern being unavailable on
your iPhoneTM device. We are here to assist!

Andrew, SIRIUS & XM offer all of the channels for which we have mobile
performance rights. For that reason, certain satellite channels like
MLB Play-by-Play, NFL Play-by-Play, SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, and Howard
Stern will not be available on mobile devices. Listeners will continue
to be able to access that programming through the platforms they are
currently offered on. We have included a link to our website below where
you can find the online streaming channel line-up.
www.siriusxm.com/oniphone. We understand your disappointment as not
being able to hear Howard, but we trust that you will see the value in
this service.

If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to visit us online
at www.siriusxm.com/oniphone or contact a Listener Care Representative
directly at 1-888-539-7474.

Thanks again for contacting us and remember, everything worth listening
to is now on SIRIUS XM Radio! We are committed to providing you with
the best in customer care. If you have any more questions, please feel
free to contact SIRIUS Customer Care. For your convenience, we are
available 7 days a week at:

SIRIUS Customer Care: 1-888-539-7474

As well as by email at:

www.sirius.com/customercare

And you can always manage your account 24/7 by visiting our website at:

www.sirius.com

Sincerely,

Cheryl L
SIRIUS Customer Care

Did you know that SIRIUS has great money-saving billing options? You
can get 1-14 months free depending on the option you choose. Call us at
888-539-SIRIUS (7474) and we?ll help you choose the plan that?s right
for you!

SIRIUS Satellite Radio, The Best Radio on Radio

Some over there are blaming Don/Howard for this. Howard has certainly always limited when/how he can be heard.
 

gdt

Member
What do you guys think about the Artie and his girlfriend situation?

I think thats ending very, very soon.

Also, how much did that necklace cost :lol ?
 

sykoex

Lost all credibility.
gdt5016 said:
Well, there appears to be some controversy over the fact that Howard isn't available on the new iPhone Sirius App.

Heres an e-mail from Sirius to a poster on SFN:



Some over there are blaming Don/Howard for this. Howard has certainly always limited when/how he can be heard.
I listening to the show right now and just heard them mention this. I can't believe how much of a money grubbing shitface Howard can be...

Siruis payed him half a billion dollars to be a part of Sirius, so how in the fuck does Howard have the balls to not allow them to put him on the official Sirius app? I don't even have an iPhone/iTouch, but it just amazes me how greedy Howard can be.
 

gdt

Member
sykoex said:
I listening to the show right now and just heard them mention this. I can't believe how much of a money grubbing shitface Howard can be...

Siruis payed him half a billion dollar to be a part of Sirius, so how in the fuck does Howard have the balls to not allow them to put him on the official Sirius app? I don't even have an iPhone/iTouch, but it just amazes me how greedy Howard can be.

Actually it was quite a bit more than half a billion (he got a bunch of bonus money-in stocks).

On one hand it sucks for those who were looking forward to it, but on the other Howard has always been way protective of his brand/show. I don't think it has to do (much?) with being greedy (like he's always said, he's never peddled bullshit to his fans, and is highly critical of his staff when they do it), more just wanting to have control of his show and how it's distributed.

Another example of him being protective is that right now Sirius owns all of the content (the show, back tapes, all the history, etc), but it will ALL revert back to Howard after his contract is done.

Basically he could charge Sirius to run a constant Master Tape Theater, or sell box sets, or a gigantic 25year download pack---basically, whatever the fuck he wants.

He got fucked over before on the Channel 9 show and Private Parts (more the former than the latter) so he's crazy protective since then.
 
Hold on a minute... they don't have mobile performance rights? Does that mean you can't get the Stern or NASCAR or MLB channels on the official Sirius portable devices like the Stiletto?
 

gdt

Member
Gary Whitta said:
Hold on a minute... they don't have mobile performance rights? Does that mean you can't get the Stern or NASCAR or MLB channels on the official Sirius portable devices like the Stiletto?

I think, THINK, you can get him on the Stiletto. In fact, I'm pretty sure.

It's a sucky thing for the fans, but I posted my thoughts on that above.
 

sykoex

Lost all credibility.
gdt5016 said:
I think, THINK, you can get him on the Stiletto. In fact, I'm pretty sure.

It's a sucky thing for the fans, but I posted my thoughts on that above.
Yeah he's definitely available on the Stiletto.
 

dem

Member
that doesnt really make much sense...
stern is a prick..


You can listen to howard on the internet..
Wont the sirius app just be playing the internet feed?
I dont understand how its any different..
 
It's a stupid, short-sighted move. Why wouldn't you want to do something that could help grow your audience? I don't pretend to know Stern's mind but I suspect that all the benefits he enjoys at Sirius (no censorship, two entire stations devoted entirely to him) is obviated by the fact that deep down he knows he's not reaching anything like the audience he used to on terrestrial radio. The other week on the show they played a clip where a local news guy made a joke about Stern having disappeared from the mainstream and Stern's reaction was really vitriolic; clearly it struck a nerve. I wonder if he's really happy playing to the very passionate but also very niche fan base he has on satellite compared to the nationwide masses he got when he was syndicated terrestrially.

I also think he kinda misses the FCC controversy stuff. That's what really put him in the public eye, but now that he can say fuck as many times as he likes without anyone really caring, that's got to be less fun.

Given all that, I don't understand why he wouldn't want to do something that would extend the reach of his show - which this iPhone app would definitely do - it might just help Sirius stave off bankruptcy at least until his contract is up.

Anyway, it's his loss. I downloaded the Sirius app and was all set to upgrade my subscription for the online service for a few extra bucks, but now I'll delete the app and that money will remain in my pocket instead of his.
 

gdt

Member
Gary Whitta said:
It's a stupid, short-sighted move. Why wouldn't you want to do something that could help grow your audience? I don't pretend to know Stern's mind but I suspect that all the benefits he enjoys at Sirius (no censorship, two entire stations devoted entirely to him) is obviated by the fact that deep down he knows he's not reaching anything like the audience he used to on terrestrial radio. The other week on the show they played a clip where a local news guy made a joke about Stern having disappeared from the mainstream and Stern's reaction was really vitriolic; clearly it struck a nerve. I wonder if he's really happy playing to the very passionate but also very niche fan base he has on satellite compared to the nationwide masses he got when he was syndicated terrestrially.

I also think he kinda misses the FCC controversy stuff. That's what really put him in the public eye, but now that he can say fuck as many times as he likes without anyone really caring, that's got to be less fun.

Given all that, I don't understand why he wouldn't want to do something that would extend the reach of his show - which this iPhone app would definitely do - it might just help Sirius stave off bankruptcy at least until his contract is up.

You make a lot of great points. I think deep down he's happy with his move, but misses certain things about the gigantic army (and lets be honest, he had 12+ million people who would follow his every word-see the Governor's Race chapter in his second book. It's fascinating how much power he wielded) he used to rule, a bunch of the other stuff.

I do think he misses being in all the papers every day. It doesn't make much sense (to me) to restrict access to a somewhat new platform. See my above post for my thoughts on his reasoning behind it.





On a related note: Sirius has got to be shitting their pants about the upcoming negotiations with Howard. I don't see him accepting (too much?) lower of a salary. And there's no way Sirius can afford that right now.
 
Yeah, I think Stern always thrived on the controversy and the fights he got into. He loved going to war against his critics and the FCC. Now nobody in the mainstream really gives a shit about what he's doing, that's got to eat at him a little.

Does anyone know what kind of audience he actually reaches at Sirius? I don't know if they do ratings breakdowns by channels but I'd love to know. I'm sure that's a fascinating part of the whole biz side of Stern's involvement with Sirius... they paid him so much money to bring him over but the network is still totally failing, so at this point is he the only thing keeping them afloat or the biggest anchor around their necks? I'd love to know the financials.
 

gdt

Member
Gary Whitta said:
Yeah, I think Stern always thrived on the controversy and the fights he got into. He loved going to war against his critics and the FCC. Now nobody in the mainstream really gives a shit about what he's doing, that's got to eat at him a little.

Does anyone know what kind of audience he actually reaches at Sirius? I don't know if they do ratings breakdowns by channels but I'd love to know. I'm sure that's a fascinating part of the whole biz side of Stern's involvement with Sirius... they paid him so much money to bring him over but the network is still totally failing, so at this point is he the only thing keeping them afloat or the biggest anchor around their necks? I'd love to know the financials.

Oh god I would love to know.

Here's the little we do know.

-The massive increase of audience after he came over.

-The gigantic bonus (on top of the 500 billion) he received for said increase.

-Said increase (apparently) allowd XM and Sirius to merge/survive.

-The Stern channels are by far (IIRC) the most popular channels on Sirius/XM.

So, while he is by far the costliest (aside from satellites and stuff, I think) at Sirius, he is also their biggest business.

They need him to survive. I don't think he'll accept less. They can't afford him at his current price. He's more or less ready to retire.

It'll be interesting to see, to say the least.

Edit: He also makes a good point,

It's not his fault if the company is failing. It has a large subscriber base, he did his part well.

IIRC, the entire company has 20 million (ish) subscribers.
 

gdt

Member
ntb825 said:
Pretty sure that Howard once said they have 8.5-10 million regular listeners.

I'd take that with quite a bit of salt. I'd say thats closer to the total Sirius, NOT XM, subscriber base.

I'd say he's closer to 6-8 million.

Edit: I'd I'd I'd
 
I'm pretty sure I remember some talk on the show a few months ago about some kind of satellite radio ratings survey. 100 and 101 were the top two channels (they even made a mention of how well Bubba did), but I think the actual numbers were only a million or three.
 

gdt

Member
omg rite said:
Hey, is he really on vacation until July 12th?

Um, IIRC they come back on Monday.

Edit: Actually, History of Howard Stern Act II is a two week long program. So you might be right...

Edit2: He takes the same 10 weeks every year (and has for a long, long time. Way before the move to Satellite), but I never get around to memorizing them.
 

ZeoVGM

Banned
Doesn't he take another 2 weeks in August + every Friday?

Jeez.

Bad time to be off too, with the MJ thing providing great radio. Wanted to hear his thoughts on that.
 
I only really started to listen in his last year of commercial radio (but watched the E! shows pretty religiously way before that) and I can't believe how much they applauded back in the KROQ days as I catch up by listening to the History of Howard Stern Act II. It's almost like how Letterman's show is now instead of just laughing at jokes.
 

gdt

Member
omg rite said:
Doesn't he take another 2 weeks in August + every Friday?

Jeez.

Bad time to be off too, with the MJ thing providing great radio. Wanted to hear his thoughts on that.

Hm, I just did some stuff in my head trying to remember.

2 weeks in June/July (right now)
1 week for Thanksgiving
2 weeks for Christmas/New Years

Then weeks off in March, August, and some other weeks too. It adds up to 10 weeks a year.

I was very much looking forward to his thoughts on MJ, but then I heard the special. The special running now is very, very good BTW, but I've heard it already. Recently relistened too.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
I really wish he would say when he was going on vacation. I've heard his "explanation" as to why he doesn't say, but it always irritates me when he's not live.
 

gdt

Member
Manick Joe said:
I only really started to listen in his last year of commercial radio (but watched the E! shows pretty religiously way before that) and I can't believe how much they applauded back in the KROQ days as I catch up by listening to the History of Howard Stern Act II. It's almost like how Letterman's show is now instead of just laughing at jokes.

Yeah, the applauding is crazy. But I loved the special running now. I can never, EVER get enough of the crew ragging on Jackie.

Also the Jackie Spotlight special was FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC.

Just ranting on some Jackie stuff...
 

gdt

Member
alr1ghtstart said:
I really wish he would say when he was going on vacation. I've heard his "explanation" as to why he doesn't say, but it always irritates me when he's not live.

This.

I honestly don't mind the vacations, I just wish I knew when they were. I looked forward all weekend to hear him talk about MJ, and that isn't happening for another week-and-a-half now.

What was his reasoning BTW?
 

Tuvoc

Member
alr1ghtstart said:
I really wish he would say when he was going on vacation. I've heard his "explanation" as to why he doesn't say, but it always irritates me when he's not live.

If you listen to the commercials you'll catch a Mammory Lane or other special series advertisement throughout the week before vacation.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
gdt5016 said:
What was his reasoning BTW?

He said if you knew they weren't going to be live, you probably wouldn't even turn on the station. If you didn't know, you would turn on the station and they would hope you would like what you're hearing and continue listening.
 

Weenerz

Banned
Off till the 12th, back for 2 weeks and then off for all of August I've heard. That's not including fridays, so you are barely getting 1 week for the summer. Nice fan service.
 
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