SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2004--Clear Channel Radio has suspended the broadcast of Viacom's Howard Stern show, consistent with its Responsible Broadcasting Initiative announced earlier today. After assessing the content of yesterday's Howard Stern show, Clear Channel worked with local market managers to take swift and decisive action.
"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," said John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. "It was vulgar, offensive, and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency. We will not air Howard Stern on Clear Channel stations until we are assured that his show will conform to acceptable standards of responsible broadcasting," Hogan said.
Source: Yahoo Finance
So, can we expect to see a 5 second delay on the Howard Stern show now?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - TDavid
Stern crossing the line shouldn't be any surprise to Clear Channel. That's how he blazed the whole shock jock trail.
2 - Ken Edwards
exactly.
3 - Al Barger
So what exactly did Stern say on February 24, 2004 that was so horribly offensive? This post nor the news source gives any clue.
4 - David Flanagan
Its the Janet Jackson thing again. All the networks are nervous and cracking down left and right for now. I listen to the Don & Mike Show many times on the way home from work and they were suspended for a week and almost lost their jobs because of some of their content.
Don & Mike got the message, lets see if Howard Stern gets it.
David
5 - Ken Edwards
a caller said something, it was posted on the top of the drudge report site, but is not now.
it went something like this:
"have you ever slept with a famous nigger chick? what do they smell like, do they smell like watermelons?"
so as you can see, CC did not like this, and i am sure the FCC will be dolling out fines or something, as well as patting CC on the back for pulling Stern.
6 - David Flanagan
so as you can see, CC did not like this
Yes! Good for ClearChannel for doing the right thing. Now Infinity needs to do the same thing.
Thanks.
David
7 - Eric Olsen
Stern has been dropped by Clear Channel entirely:
In dropping Stern from its six radio outlets that carry his show, Clear Channel cited his interview on Tuesday with Rick Salomon, the man who was filmed having sex with hotel heiress and TV reality star Paris Hilton in a video widely distributed on Internet porn sites.
According to a transcript of the show released by San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel, Stern asked Salomon if he engaged in anal sex and referred to the size of his penis. Using a racist term, a caller to the show asked Solomon if he had ever had sex with any famous black women.
8 - Craig Lyndall
I understand how this is "indecent" and "offensive" to some, most or all. I certainly can do without a lot of that type of stuff.
In Stern's defense though, how is it that the rules can change right out from under him? Nobody knows what you can and can't say anymore. And just because the FCC hasn't been doing its job and enforcing rules for the last X number of years doesn't mean they should come through with an axe chopping everyone down for stuff they didn't even know was out of bounds. The FCC has been negligent and since Janet Jackson, this is all a bit out of control, given the fact that there have been no additional communications to explain what will be happening going forward.
9 - Craig Lyndall
By the way, there is already a 90-second delay on Stern's show.
10 - TDavid
I've never been a big fan of Stern on mainstream radio. I think a lot of his humor goes way too far for the varied demographic audience (even in this day and age) and he has clearly used his ratings to stick it to authority, rather than to try and keep his humor at least close to inbounds. (I have no problem with him sticking it to authority, but his common sense should have come into play on at least some of his antics, I think).
Also, I have no problem with him being on subscription radio though (satellite, cable, etc). There he can get as raunchy and tasteless as he wants and those who want to tune in can do so. Heck, maybe he'd make more money being a subscription service anyway, so perhaps this Clear Channel gig will have a silver lining for him somehow.
That controversial piece he did some time ago where he was playing with that dead person's ashes was just one of many routines he has pulled off that is really offensive and showing total disrespect for other people's feelings. That's not mainstream-caliber entertainment in my book -- even in 2004, and I'm all for the First Amendment.
Now cable, satellite or some web subscription service where the audience is comprised of adults -- hey, more power to Howard in that medium! If he can sell it, and it's not illegal, let him have at it.
My guess is this CC hand slapping will have him moving towards these more adult-oriented mediums for his dicier bits.
11 - Eric Olsen
He was only on 6 CC stations - his main gig is with Infinity - they aren't talking.
12 - Craig Lyndall
I agree with most of what you said. I still think it is unfair that the rules can change without warning, or they can go from standing around scratching their heads, to enforcing a rulesheet that nobody is familiar with. Set some rules in stone, because as everyone knows, indecency has a relative definition.
13 - TDavid
Craig - my guess is that these rules were in stone already, and they were well known by those who would dance on them, but have obviously just not been enforced either at all or rarely.
Policies about enforcing rules change rapidly when fines start getting passed around. That's like the corporate mantra or something. Howard's no dummy, he knows what he can and can't do.
It's not like they fired some general broadcaster who had a minor slip-up on air (in which case sympathy would be well deserved), Stern has a had a documented history of pushing things too far, and they just suspended him (he'll be back). The difference between him and other shock jocks is that he has an audience of fans and supporters and some of his clone ilk don't. The rope for Howard is longer.
Clear Channel is sending a message and using Stern as a poster boy. I'd be changing the format in a hurry if I was a shock jock in another city that didn't have Stern's audience.
14 - Eric Olsen
Actually, they weren't in stone before, but they sure are now.
15 - TDavid
Eric that just says "policy changes", unless I missed something there -- that doesn't mean the FCC rules weren't in place already (those are the 'in stone' rules I was talking about). The policy changes with how CC is going to deal with enforcing the rules isn't what I was talking about.
The FCC rules haven't changed, have they?
16 - Craig Lyndall
He was only suspended from the Clear Channel stations. It is about 10% of his syndication network. He was still on in Cleveland this morning. Markets where he supposedly was off included San Diego, Orlando, Pittsburgh and others.
17 - TDavid
I wouldn't know the effect here locally because in the Seattle area I believe he is only syndicated on one rock station. I rarely listen to FM radio any more, however I do listen to talk radio though (AM).
Does Stern have a deal like Jim Rome and Dr. Laura where you can listen to his broadcasts through the web via streamlink (Premier)?
I have a subscription to Jim Rome and listen to him on weekdays through the internet because our radio reception is pretty spotty in our area. Also they have archives of the last 30 days shows, which is nice if I'm on the road and/or miss shows here and there.
I'm curious, does Stern have something like this setup? And if so, how was this effected by this? Does anybody know? Craig? Eric?
18 - Eric Olsen
I don't know what Stern's arrangements are - I despise him as a broadcaster, both for what he does and for what he has enabled. I have nothing against him personally and kind of liked his movie, but I hate what he has done to radio.
The FCC rules have not changed, no.
19 - Craig Lyndall
Stern doesn't have a system like Jim Rome. Rome's system is really good. I used to be a member, but stopped at one point. As you might imagine though, the fans of Stern are much more fanatical and geeky in many cases. I can't listen to the Stern show live, so I download mp3 rips (commercial free) every day from fans who like to archive the show on their computer.
From that standpoint, there is no effect. I have been listening to Stern for about 11 years now, so I can tell you an awful lot about his show.
20 - awatts
I Would Like To Thank Clear Channel, And I Hope That Other Broadcasters Take The Same Step. Now How About TV take Him Off With All His Idiots off TV
21 - Craig Lyndall
You can thank Clear Channel all you want, but his TV show is on E!. That's cable moron. If you don't want to watch it, then don't pay to have the channel on your package. You are paying to have that show piped into your house. Congratulations. You support Howard Stern.
22 - Jim S
if there's a 90 second delay, then how did it get on the air uncensored??? I wasn't aware of that before.
I find Stern boring and repetitive, but at times entertaining and even mildly amusing. I thought it was a clear example of corporate censorship before, but now I'm not so sure.
23 - Craig Lyndall
The problem is that they end up bleeping a lot of the show with that delay, but when they are talking about sex, they never really know what they have to bleep or not. They have been broadcasting the same stuff for the last 10+ years. All of a sudden they are going to change standards about what they bleep and don't? Someone has to tell them what they are supposed to bleep.
24 - Jim S
c'mon Craig.... NOT bleeping or deleting the call that contained the dreaded 'N'-word (much less the statement summarized above) is blatantly and flagrantly offensive to just about everyone. It was intentionally irresponsible broadcasting and I supported the Stern show before I learned that there already was a delay.....
25 - PastorJ
I read what was said about other raiso stations that might be doign the same things and should think of changing formats quick. KPNT(kpnt.com) in ST.Louis fired the "woody and the whiping boy" show in december The reason was that they had a stern show on in the mornings and would not have on in drive time in the afternoons, the show was like sterns but local based and was not bad at all.
Stern has gotton stale and is reaching deeper into the smut to try and please his audiance. It isnt working, the mindless soon will become bored and he will have to move on.