Howard Stern

After just missing the “honor” in 2007 Howard Stern is back on the Lycos most popular search, coming in at #8 on the top searched men list.  The top 10 men of 2008:

1. Clay Aiken
2. Barack Obama
3. Heath Ledger
4. Paul Newman
5. John McCain
6. Tupac Shakur
7. Johnny Depp
8. Howard Stern
9. Travis Barker
10. 50 Cent

What I found most entertaining was the fact that whoever wrote the press release could not resist throwing in the following jab

…reappearing in 2008 after falling off the list in 2007 is Howard Stern, who, despite seeing a continued decline in his Sirius Satellite ratings, managed to keep himself in the headlines, marrying long-time girlfriend Beth Ostrosky.

of course Howard couldn’t have just made the list because his talent and growing ratings, instead they suggest that he made the list because of his marriage to Beth. Which only leaves one question… who the hell still searches the net with Lycos?

Artie Lange has once again proved to American children across these great states, that anything really is possible. With his first book being described as “Outrageous, raw, and painfully funny true stories straight from the life of the actor, comedian, and much-loved cast member of The Howard Stern Show ”, Artie Lange has snagged the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

Artie is a true man’s man storytelling genius but, lets not get the reason why this book debuted at number one twisted. People like to question the power of Howard Stern since moving to Sirius but make no mistake about it, without Howard this book doesn’t go straight to number one… hell it probably would have never been written in the first place.

If you are looking for an affordable gift that any fan of Artie or the Stern Show would love this holiday season, look no further then Too Fat To Fish on sale now for only $13.72 (45% off!). Just in case you missed Artie on his late night circuit book tour, we have the videos of his interviews on Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel right in the forums.

When Howard Stern was going from terrestrial to satellite, he was everywhere. When he knew he was in a position to get some bonuses, he hit the circuit talking up Sirius. Lately he has not been anywhere. Howard did not earn a bonus last year, and this year getting a bonus seemed promised to be an even harder task. The merger has happened, and Howard seems virtually silent.

Sure, he is in bumpers that air on both Sirius and XM, but where are the Letterman appearances? Where is the push to get the word out? Perhaps tying the lack of activity to a bonus is wrong, but money is a powerful motivator, and we did see a lot more activity when he did get bonuses than when we did not.

One frustrating moment came when Scott Greenstein suggested that Howard broadcast the show from the Super Bowl in January. Howard did not seem thrilled with the idea, indicated that his studio was in New York, and that live remotes are not as good as studio shows. While this may be true, live remotes bring their own promotional value, and listeners understand this. Besides, a live remote would give Howard exposure to people that otherwise have not heard Stern in quite some time.

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The BEST OF programming on Sirius XM Radio may provide a shock jock solution for Sirius subscribers who love their Howard Stern, but express frustration on the days when Stern is on vacation, or when there are replays of the Stern show instead of a live show.

It is no secret that Howard Stern gets a lot of time off. After all, the King of All Media gets three day weekends thanks to a contract that allows him to take of every Friday. Last year, Sirius added Jay Thomas to the Friday morning slot on Howard 101 which provided a solution to the problem of no live programming on Friday’s. The solution was great, and as a fan of Jay Thomas, I enjoy being able to catch him in morning drive. Jay already has an afternoon drive slot on Sirius Stars 102.

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Within three months of the merger, SIRIUS XM Radio has committed to getting a “BEST OF” option available to consumers. Unlike true A-La-Carte programming, “BEST OF” will work on all existing services with legacy receivers on both the Sirius as well as the XM system. The “BEST OF” programming is simply the broadcasting of content that used to be available on only one network onto the other network using existing technology and systems.

Howard Stern will likely be the biggest “BEST OF” draw. Stern, used to only be available on Sirius, and for those that bought a car that only installed XM, were either forced to buy a Sirius retail device and get a full subscription to Sirius on top of their XM subscription, or to simply do without him.

These consumers now have an inexpensive and viable option that allows them to access Howard’s channels without the cost of new equipment, without cluttering up the dashboard, and without paying a full $12.95 per month for the second service. For an additional $4.04 per month, XM subscribers will not only get Howard Stern, but several other “BEST OF” channels from the Sirius line-up.

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Today it was learned that the news we have all been waiting for is upon us. Sirius and Riley Martin have come to terms on a six month agreement so that the popular Riley Martin Radio Show on Howard 101 will continue. Three weeks of reruns have been aired leaving subscribers embroiled in a mystery as to whether Riley would still be on the air. Howard stern answered the question this morning by informing listeners that indeed the Riley Martin Show would continue.

Martin, called into the show and confirmed the news in a riveting way that had listeners pulling to the side of the road so that they did not miss one utterance of Martin. While the news has been well received by Martin fans, there will be no new broadcasts until the documentation of the contract is executed. We have heard rumor that Sirius’ Tim Sabien is not taking issue with the per show value of the contract, but wanted to get a new Biavian symbol issued to 12 of his closest friends at a discount. Riley, ever the staunch negotiator held firm to his price of $38.50 per symbol, but did say that if Stern gave him a live appearance on his show, that Riley would go ahead and forward the symbols. now that the live appearance is complete, fans can look forward to the Return of Riley Martin to the Howard Stern line-up.

Seriously though……Riley Martin is staying with Sirius to share his alien experiences with listeners. While this may not be the news you were looking for and hoping for, it is a story none the less. With everything else PENDING, it is good to report on something that has been accomplished.

Position – Long Sirius, Long XM

Howard Stern has been nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame. In most cases the nominees take such news with reverence, and are excited to be recognized. This was not at all the case for Howard Stern. Yesterday he stated that after all of the years he has been in this business, ad all of the things he has brought to radio, why NOW would he be nominated. Howard’s take on the situation seems to be a cross between arrogance, and being perturbed.

Howard has done a lot for radio. Anyone who wants to speak truthfully about it will acknowledge this. But…as a “bad boy” of radio, he has never really gotten the credit he deserves from the “serious” side of radio. The fact that over two decades has passed and it is only now that he garners such a nomination would be a bit insulting given the level of his commitment to the medium and his influence and success.

Setting all of that aside, Howard actually stated that he would prefer to not be nominated, and that he wants nothing to do with the radio hall of fame. In fact, he went so far as to say that he would not participate even if the paid him a million dollars, and then told the Radio Hall of fame to suck his d*ck!!!

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In recent weeks there has been speculation as to what would happen with Scott Ferrall, who has been comfortably enjoying his 8 o’clock slot on Howard 101 for the last couple of years. Sirius announced today that the edgy sports commentator would be renewing his contract, and will remain on the Howard Stern channel.

“Scott Ferrall thunders through the world of sports at a hundred miles an hour every weeknight on SIRIUS, telling it like it is and letting his fans do the same,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS’ President, Entertainment and Sports. “He remains the perfect fit for the Howard Stern channels.”

“I work for Howard Stern, ‘The King of all Media,’ and SIRIUS Satellite Radio,” said Scott Ferrall. “I couldn’t walk away from the revolution — it’s too much fun.”

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