With Howard Stern's retreat from the FCC to satellite radio (and huge dollars) and attendant reduction in reach — how many people do you know who USED to listen to Stern? — the real and true King of All Media is about 20 years younger and a foot shorter than Howard: Ryan Seacrest.
Seacrest will have to clone himself to squeeze in any additional activities after he begins his new role as lead anchor and managing editor of E! News on Monday, March 13 at 7:00 PM ET/PT. Seacrest has already built a new nest at the network's Wilshire Blvd. headquarters, and begins his new E! News job one week after wrapping the network's Oscar Red Carpet coverage.
Seacrest will lend a dollop of humanity and — yes, I said it — class to breathless E! celebrity news coverage doing star interviews, reporting scoops on trends, award shows moments, and — most invasive and popular of all — celebrity pairings, unpairings, and repairings. The American Idol host signed a comprehensive agreement with E! in January to develop and produce multiple series projects, serve as Executive Producer of E!'s Live From the Red Carpet, host a series of interview specials via his Ryan Seacrest Productions, and run and anchor the news.
So he's got the absurdly popular Idol, now storming through season five; E!; is a fill-in host for CNN's Larry King Live nightly talk show; and oh yeah, radio: A new state-of-the-art studio is currently under construction at E! Networks to house "the world's most popular radio countdown show, American Top 40 and Seacrest's wildly popular L.A. morning drive-time radio show for Clear Channel's 102.7 KIIS-FM.
So, despite the popularity and longevity of Stern, 52, he has not developed anything close to the empire that Seacrest, 31, has — most of it in just the last five years! — as the diminutive dynamo overtly patterns himself after entertainment moguls Dick Clark and Merv Griffin.
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Article comments
1 - RogerMDillon
What?! Until Seacrest delivers a best-selling book, a #1 movie and a #1 soundtrack as Howard did, "All Media" in no way applies to Seacrest although he is growing into quite a presence.
I don't know anyone who listens to him on the radio, and if it weren't for the AI try-out shows, I wouldn't ever see him on TV.
2 - chantal stone
He's apparently popular for a reason. SOMEONE is paying attention to him, Roger. I look forward to seeing him on E! He's definitely on the road to becoming the Dick Clark of the 21st century.
3 - Eric Olsen
you're right about the book and movie, but really the moment when he hit with the movie, soundtrack, radio, book all at about the same time turned out to be just that: a moment
4 - fafa fooye
Wow dumbest sh_t I ever read. Seacrest is nothing in radio he barely has a blip on the radar. The show American Idol is good because of Simon Cowell period.Where Seacrests 60mins interview?..there is not one because no one would watch it. Seacrest has nothing to say hes an announcer...nothing else hes a bore. Wheres Seacrest book and movie about his life and his half a billion dollar deals?Only reason he has a job is beacause hes a safe go to guy he has zero personality and zero talent.Hes the new Dick Clark they are both just a safe non-offensive announcer nothing wrong with that just dont make it like hes reinvented the media hes in. You only threw in Sterns name because noone would read this stupid thing. Before you go around throwing "King of All Media" know what it means.
5 - Eric Olsen
Like Chantal said, there is SOME reason why he has been able to develop all these choice gigs, and it isn't just because he is safe and non-offensive. As for talent, I'd say the results speak for themselves.
6 - RogerMDillon
"He's apparently popular for a reason. "
I never said he wasn't popular. I just said he hasn't conquered "All Media".
Also, the movie and the two books came out at different times, so it was more than a moment. Let's see what Ryan's ratings on E are before crowning him.
7 - Phillip Winn
You're right, Roger. Seacrest doesn't fit the "All Media" part of that label. But then, Stern doesn't fit the "King of" part of the label.
"Deposed King," maybe. "King In Exile," perhaps. But clearly no longer king.
8 - RogerMDillon
I don't dispute that, Phil. For me, the show went downhill when they lost Billy West and became overfocused on sex. Unfortunately, those were the highest rated shows on E, so they kept doing it.
However, until they start releasing ratings, if they can, I think it's fair to say that only someone with a king's stature could command the kind of ransom his current deal garnered. Think Seacrest could get a satellite radio deal like that?
The moniker was a joke any way. He was spoofing the media using Jackson's "King of Pop" nickname and of course the cattle began using his slogan as well.
9 - TerriO
I just want to know one thing:
What happened to "Seacrest OUT"? As annoying as it was, I almost miss it at the end of AI.
Go ahead, call me a dork!
10 - Eric Olsen
my guess is he got tired of being asked about it and didn't want to be sidled with a catch phrase
11 - NR Davis
Seacrest has a way to go before being KOAM, but it just may happen down the road. And he is more than a blip on the broadcasting radar - his LA radio show is super popular and he is the new Casey Kasem as host of the nationally syndicated "American Top 40" program. He's even filled in for Larry King on occasion. Way more than a blip, whether or not you listen to him. I suspect he got rid of the catchphrase because, like it or not, Seacrest is IN.
12 - Sterfish
You know, didn't people say similar "King Of All Media" things when he had that daily TV talk show in syndication along with AI, and the radio show?
As for "Seacrest Out!", I think it was done for the minute he made fun of numerous times on the Adult Swim comedy Robot Chicken.
13 - Media Watcher
Notice on sign off Ryan now salutes in an exact copy of Dick Clark's old Bandstand sign offs.
He just bought a $11 million dollar house. He's doing something right.
14 - Jayme
That's pretty cool! I guess he'll be hosting New Year's Rockin' Eve before long.
15 - HR Pufnstuf
You're too late. Seacrest handled most of the 2006 New Year Rockin' Eve hosting duties while Dick Clark, still showing effects of his stroke, made cameo appearances.