Braxton notes Stern has not only been reduced to one to two million daily listeners on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, but worse: has lost relevancy.
The idea that a move to struggling medium where his constant nemesis, the F.C.C., would be kept at bay worried many observers - including myself. (See: Will Howard Stern Be as Interesting Without the F.C.C.?)
But, he made his $500 million dollar bed with SIRIUS and now has to lay in it.
But, I don't really side with Braxton on the relevancy claim. Stern may have fewer listeners than the old days but I still think he's clever and adds to the conversation. As evidence, listen to this segment from a few days ago when he sent "Sal" from his program to talk to Harlem voters about Barack O'Bama and John McCain. It's insightful, amusing...and a little scary.
Listen/View Online: Howard Stern Show Interview Harlem Voters
Comments
The notion that Howard Stern is somehow irrelevant because he has fewer listenrs now is absurd: when Howard joined Sirius in January 2006 Sirius had 600,000 paying listeners – now there are 8 million Sirius and 10 million XM listeners, so his listener base is a minimum of 7.5 million. Howard Stern is the most influential radio broadcaster of all time, he DEFINES radio.Terrestial radio is in the death throes of obscurity and irrelevance and CBS is unloading its radio stations as fast as they can sell them and terrestial radio cannot be saved by anything short of a return by the King Of All Media, and Howard is not interested in returning to government dominated radio.
Is no one questioning the motive of the original article appearing on the FRONT PAGE of the Tribune Co’s LA Times? And syndicated to most other Tribune Co. papers? In this era of war and economic collapse, this is not the stuff of front pages unless there’s some other agenda. Anything, perhaps, related to the NAB’s effort to kill the merger? Anything, perhaps, related to driving the stock down further, to choke satellite, after the NAB failed to stop the merger? Anybody investigating conflicts with Tribune Co. broadcast holdings? This was a wildly irresponsible editorial push from Tribune. Oh, and $500,000 million? It’s more like $500 million.
Please! Howard is just as relevant as he ever was and this notion that he is anything less is just absurd!. No one in radio has ever done what he has…and now he has taken satellite radio and made it a much more viable medium! There’s a reason why he was paid $500,000,000! Lets not forget the fact that no matter what guest he has on, no matter how obscure, then suddenly become the top search on google! not relevant?
Howard is the king of ALL media! The LA times is obviously in Cahoots with the NAB and plain old commercial chocked boring terrible radio! LONG LIVE THE KING!
I listen EVERY SINGLE DAY! AND SUBSCRIBE TO HOWARD TV! BABA BOOEY!
I have sirius since may 2007. I have listen to howard since june 2007. The show is very relevant. I’ve listen the the sirius shows and then to the old “k-rock” shows. I find the sirius shows better. Earlier this month I just ordered to howard TV and the best of XM on sirius.
Plus on a lighter note, my cousin subscribed to the LA times. But just canceled his subscription last thursday.
I bet that Howard has more listeners than the LA times has readers.
“when Howard joined Sirius in January 2006 Sirius had 600,000 paying listeners – now there are 8 million Sirius and 10 million XM listeners, so his listener base is a minimum of 7.5 million.” You make a great point. With Howard teaching us all math like that, we’ll get those jobs sent to India back in no time.
“Howard Stern is the most influential radio broadcaster of all time, he DEFINES radio.” He sure does. I don’t know what I would do without Howard. Or his token adding all those great points to ponder. I don’t just like Howard Stern, I “LOVE HIM!!”
Howard Stern always measured his own importance by the number of listeners that he had when he was on network radio, He would constantly talk about his ratings and what that said about himself and his competition. Now that his numbers have taken a dive he is changing the ruler.
Howard is boring. Period.