Shocker: Computer Animations In Court Influence Jury Perception

Searching For Howard Stern's Lost Listeners

from the and-like-that...-they-vanished dept

Tue, Apr 11th 2006 10:28am — Mike Masnick

For all the hype surrounding Howard Stern's move to Sirius radio, only a small fraction of his drive-time listeners actually signed up for Sirius subscriptions (though, clearly, enough to keep both Stern and Sirius pretty happy). At the same time, his "replacements" at CBS Radio have an even smaller fraction of his old listening audience, meaning that everyone's searching for Howard Stern's millions of lost listeners. Mostly, people seem to think those listeners gravitated to other, more established, local shock jocks -- while another bunch jumped to NPR (yes, NPR). Still, for all the talk about how the Stern jump would kill terrestrial radio and save satellite radio, it doesn't appear that all that many people came with him. What's most interesting, though, is how confused the entire industry seems to be about all of this. Stern was such a giant in the industry that no one seemed to have any clue what would actually happen when he jumped ship -- and now that it's happened, they're still struggling to figure out where everyone went.

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136 Comments

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SteveC, 11 Apr 2006 @ 10:32am

Ex-Howard Listener here...
Funny... I'm one of the ones who went to NPR. Jad no idea that a BUNCH of listeners did. That's amusing.
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- Dale, 8 Jun 2006 @ 1:49pm
  
  Re: Ex-Howard Listener here...
  Same here for NPR. Interesting.
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- Bud, 10 Jul 2006 @ 10:04am
  
  Re: Ex-Howard Listener here...
  I had been a fan since 1987. I listened 4 hours a day everyday, I loved his show. It was funny and original. His decline since his divorce has been painful to see. He has become everything he use to make fun of. Over the last few years he has replayed bits to death, put B and C players on the air too much and just stopped being funny. I followed him to Sirius to find out how he was going to change the face of radio again. What I got was more replayed bits, more support player bits, him taking every Friday off and Stern taking three vacations. He is coasting and taking a home a huge paycheck. I dropped Sirius and somehow survived without Howard Stern. The Regular Guys and Opie and Anthony have filled the Stern void. Any true fan of Howard Stern knows the guy on the radio now is not the Howard Stern we knew and loved.
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  - jimmy19, 21 Jul 2006 @ 8:42pm
    
    Re: Re: Ex-Howard Listener here...
    i could not agree more. ive been listening since 87,he has been on cruise control since sirius.i cancelled my subscription and have been fine.
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Dan, 11 Apr 2006 @ 10:46am

Howard had huge ratings because he was just there. I'd say a huge number of listeners were tuning in just because it was the only half decent thing on the radio at that time in the morning. Once you listen to traffic and weather, it's a wasteland except for his funny (though not in the latter years, IMHO) radio show. Those people could care less what they listen to, and now that Howard is gone, the mindset became "Oh well, I guess I'll pop in a CD/play my ipod now instead". Howard had an assload of listeners, but only the fans were willing to go to satellite.
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MissingFrame, 11 Apr 2006 @ 10:47am

Demographics wrong?
I think the problem is that they tried to pigeonhole all his listeners into the same demographic thinking they would all do the same thing. They were probably 100 different reasons people listened to Howard Stern and they went 100 different ways when he left.
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Joe T, 11 Apr 2006 @ 10:56am

I see this as a misconception of how strong any celebrity is in drawing people to a pay model of any stripe. If you already had Sirius, you probably didn't see a whole lot of value in having Howard added. If you had XM, you probably weren't going to swap to get him, and if you had neither, were you going to pay $12.00/month plus equipment costs to get what you had previously for free? As Dan said, only the fans were likely to follow him.

This is analogous to the movie industry: If a Tom Cruise movie comes out, no one (except his true fans) will disregard what the movie is about and how good the reviews are before making a decision to see or not see the movie. In other words, a bad Tom Cruise movie won't draw people where a good Tom Cruise (or non-Tom Cruise) movie will.
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George Bush, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:00am

Who is Howard Stern?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:07am

I also started listening to more NPR since Stern left.
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PJ, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:29am

Only a fraction?????
Only a fraction went to Sirius??? Name me one other entertainer who could draw over 3 million listeners to shell out $13/month plus equipment costs! Howard's only been off free FM for about 3 months and has pulled more than 30% of his audience with him. Do you think Rush could do that? Do you think Oprah will do the same for XM? There's not one other person who could do what Howard did. When Howard annouced he was going to Sirus the subscriber base was around 300,000 now it exceeds 4 million. Do the math!

I don't understand the negative slant. Is it jealousy?
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- Mike (profile), 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:47am
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Only a fraction went to Sirius???
  
  Are you suggesting it's not a fraction? You admit in the next sentence that it is a fraction, so I don't see why you're upset.
  
  The point isn't that any other entertainer would do better. The question was solely one concerning where the other fans went.
  
  I don't understand the negative slant.
  
  There is no negative slant. I'm not sure why you think there is one. It's a simple fact that only a fraction of his listeners moved over to Sirius, and the question is what are the other ones doing.
  
  There's nothing positive or negative about that.
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  - neverender, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:59am
    
    Re: Re: Only a fraction?????
    well mike, you did state "small" fraction.
    i fail to see how 1/3rd of a listener base following to sirius can be considered "small."
    
    i do agree that when i hear reports of ratings, you wonder where the rest of the group went? its too bad that satelite radio has no method for tracking active listeners...
    
    ...and the comment from andrew schmitt was completley biased and has no factual information. haters will never cease to amaze me.
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  - Benson B. Williams, 3 May 2006 @ 9:04pm
    
    at his best
    I finally went to Stern, after I finally could get the equipment - Radio Shack and Sirius had both sold all their product.
    
    Stern is at his best and the shows are excellence - compelling listening availabel even time of the day or night.
    
    Worth every penny....Question - do you compliners have cable TV?
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- Gary Bababooey, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:25pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Hoo Hoo I invented radio Robin.....!
  
  Nice F'n Howie math douche, His show has sucked ass since Billy West left..get a clue.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Apr 2007 @ 3:36pm
    
    Re: Re: Only a fraction?????
    what are you talking about so you say less than 1 and 10 listen to howard so don`t get all of your info from o and a i like o and a soo do reasearch first you gullanle fuck rammone
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:26pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  How do you know they all joined because of Howard?
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  - Tucker, 5 Mar 2007 @ 9:58pm
    
    Re: Re: Only a fraction?????
    How does Sirius know...because people told them when they called to sign up for their subscriptions-but you would already know the answer to that question if you listened to/watched the show.
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- Old Bear, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:54pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Did all those people sign up just because of Howard? Or might it be that the satellite radio companies did a bunch of marketing? I sell the radios and I've seen a huge increase in sales. But not one person bought it because of Howard. It maybe because the price has dropped from $800 a unit 2 years ago to $60 a unit with sign-up deals and rebates.
  How about you do the math.
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- Dave, 26 Apr 2006 @ 6:41pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  It is not only jealousy, it is STUPIDITY and IGNORANCE. There is not one person in this universe who'd have considered 30% of a fanbase, in 3 months mind you and still growing, a failure until now. If Oprah Winfrey brought 15% of her fanbase ANYWHERE with her she'd be considered a success. Hell, if you bat .300 in Major League Baseball you're an All-Star. But not Howard Stern. If Howard Stern had 12,000,000 listeners on December 31 and 11,999,999 signed up to hear him on Sirius, I swear there'd be articles in the papers the next day saying, "Howard Stern could not convince entire audience to pay for his show". It sounds crazy to you reading that, but this article sounds that crazy to me today. Honestly. It is actually kind of ridiculous how seriously jealous people are. Consider the FACT that Stern has heard he'd fail on the eve of EVERY major endeavor he's taken on during his career and EVERY single time he's come out with success. You'd think that people would learn their lessons over the course of 25 years
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- Willy Nilly, 16 May 2006 @ 12:11pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Lets do the math. 300,000 when howard announced? it was actually 650,000. Your also assuming every new sub was just because of Howard. When Howard signed xm led sirius by about 1 million subs, they now lead by over 2 million. Do the Math. Howard was really bid once, he is still pretty big, but he is not bigger than music,MLB, and far superior technology as far as radios go, which XM's radios are so far ahead of sirius that it is shocking. Former KING OF ALL MEDIA now Captain of a sinking ship.
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- Mike, 24 Oct 2006 @ 10:07am
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  you are right. I could not agree more. Sirius Radio is gaining 6,000 new listeners a day and that is a true statistic. Who in the world could do that? Howard Stern is the answer.
  
  People are jeolous and the media loves to bash. Howard has been around for 20+ years. What does that tell you
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- Tucker, 5 Mar 2007 @ 9:54pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Exactly my point!!! Well put with great stats! I applaud you!
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- don, 19 Apr 2007 @ 6:23pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Rush has 4 times the listeners than Stern had and 10 times the amount of radio stations and has never bombed out in markets where Stern would routinely get crushed anywhere outside of the east coast by local guys. Rush played a large part in the 94 Republican takeover of the house and is the single greatest success story in the history of radio.
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- Joe, 21 Nov 2007 @ 9:58pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  You are an idiot PJ. Do you actually think that every single one of the subscribers after 300,000 signed on because of Howard? I actually signed on a little after Howard went on. I did not sign on because of him. So you do the math ass!
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- Joey, 5 Dec 2007 @ 1:14pm
  
  Re: Only a fraction?????
  Retard, yeah. Only a fraction of his listeners went to Sirius. It's not negative spin, it's a fact. Most folks who listened to Stern did not follow him to Satellite.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:32am

so is the CBS suite against Howard for speaking of Satellite Radio within the last months of him being employed by CBS, still holding water?
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Neal, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:46am

iMovies
They're all downloading iMovies of Jerry Springer.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:50am

I moved to NPR and whatever CDs that I usually listen to on THE WAY HOME from work. Nothing new here - just switched around the times in which i listen to FREE-FM
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Andrew Schmitt, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:55am

Paying for Crap
If you took all of the shows that are on CBS/NBC/ABC/FOX and moved them to pay cable I bet you would see 90% of the audience go away. Most people know that what they watch is crap. They are happy to waste their time with it, but when it comes to their money they think twice.

Howard Stern was crap. I haven't heard his new show, but I assume it is still crap. And most people, regardless of how bad their taste is, won't pay for crap.

Perhaps we need a Howard Stern "Dark Matter" theory.

Thanks for the link to the LA Times. I would have missed this.
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jj, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:04pm

id listen to him but im not going to pay to listen to him. Radio should be free
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bob dole, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:05pm

wut
vote 4 bob dole 2008
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Anonymouse Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:11pm

Stern isn't very good anymore
His show has really declined in excitement since he made the move. Its just the same old stale dick and fart jokes. Nothing new or cutting edge. I gave away my Sirius account because i have no interest in paying for that garbage. I can get the same stuff on the normal FM radio for free.
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- Anonymous Bastard, 11 Apr 2006 @ 7:13pm
  
  Re: Stern isn't very good anymore
  His show has really declined in excitement since he made the move. Its just the same old stale dick and fart jokes. Nothing new or cutting edge. I gave away my Sirius account because i have no interest in paying for that garbage. I can get the same stuff on the normal FM radio for free.
  
  ...same stuff?
  
  Yeah, if you want your bleeps, your edits, and 15 minutes of commericals, be my guest.
  
  Personally, the music on there should be enough for anyone to enjoy. Music from as far back as the 50's, all the way up to the current hits. Reggae, Jimmy Buffett, classical, talk, comedy, kid-friendly songs, whatever you'd like is on there.
  
  ...Not with old-fashioned radio that has to create content that will draw advertisers.
  
  Satellite means you can play whatever you'd like. Not the case with old-fashioned radio.
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- Anonymous Coward, 3 May 2006 @ 6:02am
  
  Re: Stern isn't very good anymore
  "His show has really declined in excitement since he made the move. Its just the same old stale dick and fart jokes. Nothing new or cutting edge. I gave away my Sirius account because i have no interest in paying for that garbage. I can get the same stuff on the normal FM radio for free."
  
  Are you kidding? Have you heard anything on the show at all? Any station FM station would be shut down for most of the bits they do now. The show is 100x more entertaining, unless you've had Sirius and listened to it, you don't have a right to comment.
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- who me?, 11 May 2006 @ 10:19am
  
  Re: Stern isn't very good anymore
  You can get the same sensored thing on regular radio, plus 30 minutes of commercials an hour. There are some other really great talk shows in satellite as well. Talk radio seems to be much better on satellite in fact. Then there is the music...
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- junior, 20 May 2006 @ 5:24am
  
  Re: Stern isn't very good anymore
  I agree. He has no comedic talent. Most of his crew act like 9 year old boys. Very boring. Very juvenile. Even Artie became unfunny about 12 mos ago. Bring back Jackie, John and KC. Fire Fred, Richard and Sal. And maybe something interesting would come out on occasion.
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Dan2, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:13pm

ok... i must be a fan... i listen to howard... i listen to npr... hmmm. what is it i'm a fan of? satalite radio is young(read: edgy), good music(comedy too, i listen to a lot of comedy), informative (the wife loves martha's network)and, most importantly, truth is not trampled on so the most amount of advertisers are placated. like npr, i will pay a membership so that i may, for as long as possible, hear a glimmer of truth in radio, and you should too. i hate that the tools to educate the public on civic matters require membership, that in order to fulfill every citizen's (democracy or republic) duty, a membership other than citizenship is required. i hope that, unlike joe T, the membership cost is not the determining factor for the rest of you.
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b-roon, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:15pm

music only
I went away from FM radio and went to XM about a year ago. The reason was b/c I couldn't stand any talk radio!!
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Subclone, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:16pm

It's all "inside"
Never lived in a market that had Stern, so I listened to his show for a week or so after it debuted on Sirius. I found it tedious. It's all so "inside" and clearly appeals to his obsessive fan base. Now that he knows many didn't make the trip, maybe he ought to start moving the program away from the orientation toward superfans.
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Evan, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:17pm

stuff
First off, the new Stern shows on Sirius from what I've heard have been pretty great, except for the boring repetitive rants about the CBS suit.

Anyway, Howard has a theory that I think could be pretty valid, he says as people buy cars in the future, they'll be faced with an option for satelite radio to be included, and they'll be more likely to say "Yeah, I'd take Sirius, Howard is on there" if they liked the show in the past. I think that's where the average listener may pick up Sirius rather than rushing out to buy it.

Didn't I also read on this site that cell phones are terrestrial radio's biggest competition for attention in the car?
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- me, 12 Apr 2006 @ 9:52am
  
  Re: stuff
  so hes doing the same crap he was a year ago? People wont pay for that they have any sense.
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Shred303, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:21pm

Now that Howard's gone...
Yah know now that Howard is gone I really don't miss him and I really don't see myself switching to Sirius to hear him whine, cry and complain about his life or the people he works with. In fact without him my life is just a little tiny bit brighter. So now I switch between CDs and you guessed it NPR.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:24pm

XM vs. Sirius
I listened to Stern in his golden years, but about 3 years ago he started to repeat the same jokes and gags... stale stuff after so long. XM was installed in my car when I bought it and I started listening to Opie and Anthony... these guys rock - Imagine Stern 10 years ago x2 and you have defined O&A!

R
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- ChuckF, 13 Apr 2006 @ 2:05pm
  
  Re: XM vs. Sirius
  You have got to be kidding. Opie an Anthony Better then Stern? You must be smoking crack. Stern had 20 million listeners. Almost 30% came with him. How is that bad? No one cared when Q&A got fired. No one cared when they got hired by XM. XM only hired them after their Stern Deal fell through. Give me a break
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  - nobody, 13 Apr 2006 @ 3:42pm
    
    Re: Re: XM vs. Sirius
    please go back to math school... 30% of 20 million is twice the number of current Sirius "Subscriptions" and mind you that a quarter million of those "subscriptions" are unsold cars sitting on lots..........
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phuck stern, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:25pm

stern is a joke
stern sucks
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b-roon, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:31pm

Anonymous Coward... I haven't had a chance to check out Opie and Anthony, even though the show is broadcast 24/7. I'll have to check them out. Satellite radio is a very good bargain if you are on the road a lot and don't live in a large city that has a wide variety of stations. For music lovers, you can't beat it with a stick! Especially now with the majority of the stations on XM contain no commericials.
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- WRM, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:43pm
  
  Re:
  b-roon:
  Opie and Anthony is a great show - you should check it out - go to www.oandavirus.com - it has some of their old shows... I am in Dallas and the FreeFM sucks here - I can't stand another britney spears song... XM and O&A are worth it just to avoid the commercials!!
  
  R
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  - Tucker, 5 Mar 2007 @ 10:01pm
    
    Re: Re:
    How do you like it now that XM is not commercial-free satellite radio anymore?
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Clown Smash, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:44pm

XM because of Stern
I went XM because I was tired of yapping on the radio. Sure maybe in a little while there will be commercials on here too, but then again soon after that you won't be able to crap with out adds in your face, screeming in your ear.
That is still a huge amount of people signing up for a paid service, they may be counting those that already had SAT Radio. Millions went else where because we are a beast that fears change.
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BrandonG, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:48pm

Howard
If approx. 30% went to Sirus as I did, that is a huge following and terestrial won't feel the impact but that's too bad. They deserve to feel it and should hold the federal govt., and their need for sensoring the US people, accountable. Down with the religious wright and their desire to hold people back from expressing their opinions. The people have spoken and hopefully the ignorant Clear Channell conglomerants will suffer throughout.
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Transfer, 11 Apr 2006 @ 12:54pm

i personally never listened to howard stern and actually havent listened to any form or "radio am fm xm online (aim yahoo/launch) shouldnt say i havent listened to him but the few times i tried my inteligance was insulted in the first 20 minutes so im glad hes no longer on free air that way i dont accidentally hear him as i pass someone listening to the radio, but the listeners probably went to cd's or ipods most car stereo head units have mp3 input of some sort now and the ones that went to xm had the money im sure it came down to "do i want to spend the money for something that is easily avaiable in any major metro for free? (in the form on mancow in chicago)
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- The Power of Punctuation, 11 Apr 2006 @ 8:40pm
  
  Re:
  My intelligence was insulted trying to fit punctuations in your 100-word'ish sentence.
  
  I think the previous post mentioning the new car owner deciding on Sirius because he heard Stern is on it as the likely sticking power for the satellite company.
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Don, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:14pm

Howards Listeners
Did anyone stop and consider the fact that maybe he never really had that many listeners to begin with? hmmmm?
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 2:53pm
  
  Re: Howards Listeners
  Ever heard of ratings?
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  - SuckerPunch-tm, 11 Apr 2006 @ 3:03pm
    
    Re: Re: Howards Listeners
    Re: Howards Listeners by Anonymous Coward on Apr 11th, 2006 @ 2:53pm
    Ever heard of ratings?
    
    And ratings are infallible, especially for radio huh?
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Rob g, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:18pm

Where They Are
They are all at my house
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Don, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:20pm

Howards Listeners
Oh, I should mention, I have 5 XM radios on subscription between my house, our cars and kids. Never considered Sirius.
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john in grand haven, mi, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:20pm

Howard
Baba Booey!!!
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Guillermo, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:26pm

Lost listeners
When someone has to brag (and brag, and brag) so heavily about how good they are, it's a sign that they're trying to mislead you. It's referred to as "poisoning of the mind". Howard is very good at this... people think if Howard says it, it must be true.

I feel sorry for those who expected better from Howard, he promised a NEW SHOW and has given us the SAME OLD SHOW for a price.

Take away the TV cameras and he will get back to making great radio. Keep the cameras there and you have a TV show that replays on the radio.
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Agnes Donnelly, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:28pm

He was always in my face
I listed to him because he was always on. I watched him because E! was my favorite television station and he was just on and in my face. I always thought he was rude and crude and took advantage of people. I would NEVER follow him to someplace I had to pay to listen to him. He would have to pay me to go with him. He is a stupid ass!
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 2:57pm
  
  Re: He was always in my face
  I listed to him because he was always on. I watched him because E! was my favorite television station and he was just on and in my face.
  
  Ever hear of chaning the channel or turning the radio/t.v. off
  
  and you say howard is the stupid ass
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haywood, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:28pm

WGAF
I personally don't care if Howard lives or dies. Pay for radio? I think not! I don't even have cable tv. DSL is the only pay service I have except for the required land line local phone service.
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Mik3_D, 11 Apr 2006 @ 1:32pm

Lost its most appealing factor
I think the biggest thing Stern had going for him was that he was doing things that he wasn't supposed to on "clean" network radio. He was kind of a rebel/hero for that. Don't forget a lot of Stern haters listened to him as well all so they could hear what he was going to say/do next.

Now that he's allowed to do whatever he wants and you have to pay for it, its not as great and the haters sure aren't going to pay to listen to him.
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- Raymond, 24 Dec 2007 @ 9:24pm
  
  Re: Lost its most appealing factor
  Howard's Sirius Satellite show is better than I ever expected it to be. I don't know how anyone can say his Sirius show is not as good as his old FM show. I thought it would not be as good because I thought that the joke was that Stern had to try and say naughty things in a manner that cleaned it up for the air. The funniest example of that was Howard's fake Sofa King commercials. It's Sofa King great. It's Sofa King cheap. Their store is Sofa King close. Get it? But the Sirius show is hillariously filthy! No longer do callers and guests have to be censored! No cuts, bleeps, lost dialogue. And where else but satellite radio can you hear Sarah Silverman gag when she smells Richard's dirty ball sack? Stern is worth paying for! I don't get a dime for saying this stuff, although I should, since I'm also going to say that those that are so cheap that they won't cough up the dough to listen to Stern just are a waste of skin.
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JP, 11 Apr 2006 @ 2:12pm

Even if a "small fraction" of Howards fans went to sirius, its still a few million people. O&A Don't compare to howard in any way, no body followed them. and XM.. mostly commercial free? how long before its majority commercial free? then somewhat commercial free? Sirius continues to give commerical free music, its worth the money, and Stern is an added bonus.
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jojopuppyfish, 11 Apr 2006 @ 3:14pm

Where did they go?
First of all, Howard retained 30% of his audience already.
Right now, my communte is too short. So I listen to cds in the car.
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RobK, 11 Apr 2006 @ 3:42pm

Sirius Stern is Great
The Stern show has been funnier than ever uncensored on Sirius. I would highly recommend that any Stern fan that hasn't subscribed yet , do so right away !

c'mon , 50 bucks for the unit at Best Buy, $12.95 a month........you can't beat it for what you get , Stern and commercial free music, NFL, Nascar coming next year.JEEEZ
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- jimmy joe bob, 8 Aug 2006 @ 11:55pm
  
  Re: Sirius Stern is Great
  This should tell you a lot about Sterns fan base. WHOO NASCAR IS COMING TO RADIO. GAUL DERN IT I just can't wait. Stern if perfect for rednecks like you.
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crystalattice (profile), 11 Apr 2006 @ 4:36pm

How do they determine listeners?
I've always wondered about this. How do you determine how many listeners radio has? I know they have phone polls; I actually took one several decades ago. But how accurate are they?

Is it determined by the potential audience, i.e. there are X number of people living in all the cities we broadcast in, therefore it's assumed Y percentage of them listen to us? Does it include Internet streaming or podcasts?

Most importantly, how does CBS know that X number of Stern listeners left when he moved? It can't be based on the number of Sirius sign-ups that occured at the same time. Well, actually it could if you're a marketer, but sign-ups could also be due to discount pricing, special bundle deals, the phase of the moon, sunspots, etc.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 4:52pm

Sirius is AMAZING.

for all you people downplaying Sirius, think again.
I have Sirius, I will never be able to go back to regular radio. It's so amazing to listen to Sirius radio, the content is 10x what regular radio is. Satellite radio is going to be huge. Sorry if you idiots are too cheap to pay $13.00 a month, you're missing out big time.

I listen to Howard in the morning, and the news channels all day after Howard, I love it and it makes my day go by so fast. Best $13.00 a month I have ever spent.

I haven't listened to regular radio in over three months, not even a minute of it.
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- M, 13 Apr 2006 @ 9:40pm
  
  Re: SDARS
  Satellite radio is very good. I was a huge skeptic when I first got it. After about a month, I was amazed at all the choices one has to choose from.
  
  This is a free country and you can say or do anything you like (the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness).
  
  I choose to pay for the service because I find value. For those who don't have it, that is your choice. But you should not knock something until you have personally experienced it for yourself to make your own opinion (go to a retailer or sign up for a 3 day trial online for free and listen yourself).
  
  I love how people say they would never pay for sat radio. Do you buy CD's? Do you pay for Cable/ Sat TV? Back in the 80's lots of people said they would not do such a thing. Do your own random sampling and discover how many do pay for such content, variety and choice.
  
  For the price of one CD, I get over 125 channels of entertainment. One CD will never give you this. I can also pay month to month and if I can't afford it one month (a whole $13) I can cancel for that month, then continue the next.
  
  You may now continue to bash each other and act like children in the 4th grade.
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- Jeff, 26 Apr 2006 @ 7:11pm
  
  Re:
  All the Stern haters would spend the $13 a month if Howard wasn't on it. But since he is, they wanna be opposite and be able to say stuff like, "I'd never pay for radio". Why is it that people love technology but when it comes to radio they're so biased. We want high-def tv's, better gas mileage in cars with more advanced equipment, digital mobile phones, faster computers, and we all agree with that we want these things yet, because Howard Stern went to satellite radio, radio should be free, and you'd never pay for radio. It's an advancement in radio, not a replacement for radio. That's like saying, I don't think we should have DVD's because movies should be free on tv. Seriously people. Wake up. Satellite is unreal and to argue otherwise you are only missing out. You WILL have it in the next ten years, just like cable tv, DVD's, mobile phones, hell, even BOTTLED WATER! Pay for it and you'll never go back. And if you do go back, then fine. The best things in life are not ALWAYS free. But $13 is close to it.
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MIKE STERNFANATIC, 11 Apr 2006 @ 9:43pm

HOWARD IS SIMPLY GOD!!!!
WHERE DID ALL HIS LISTENERS GO?

THEY ARE RIGHT WHERE THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. WATCHING, LISTENING, READING. ANY OF YOU A**HOLES THAT HAVEN'T HEARD THE KOAM IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, SHOULD PROBABLY GO BACK TO GRAMMAR SCHOOL. THAT IS WHERE THE LESSONS BEGIN. CAN YOU GUYS, ESPECIALLY THE OPIE & A**HOLE FOLLOWERS, UH, YEAH, ALL 4 OR 5 OF THEM, THE ARMY, WHAT A F'N JOKE, EVEN BEGIN TO FATHOM OR REALIZE THAT O & A ARE BAD IMITATIONS, THAT WILL NEVER BE A 100TH OF WHAT STERN IS OR WAS. IT IS SAD THAT THERE ARE SO MANY IDIOT'S WHO FEEL THEY DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE WHATEVER THEY WANT IN LIFE, A PARTICULAR CAR, MOTORCYCLE, GIRL, JET-SKI, OR HOWARD STERN ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO! I WORK HARD, AND MAKE A GREAT LIVING, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I HAVE 8 SIRIUS SUBSCRIPTIONS MYSELF. THEY ARE IN MY 3 CARS, MY FAMILY ROOM, BEDROOM, KIDS ROOMS, BOOMBOX, S50 PORTABLE RADIO/MPE PLAYER RECORDER, AND ONE FOR MY COMPUTER THAT RECORD HOWARD 100 & 101 24/7 TO MY RADI SYSTEM WITH 5 TB OF HOWARD FUCKING STERN!!!!!!!!!! THINK ABOUT THIS, HOW COULD HOWARD STERN BE THE ONLY BROADCASTER OF HIS KIND, EVER. PERIOD. IF HE SUCKS SO BAD, HOW COULD HE BE THE BIGGEST, THE BEST, AND THE ONLY ONE OF A KIND, THAT OH YEAH, HAS BEEN THIS WAY, NUMBER 1 IN MOST MARKETS HE WAS EVER IN, FOR DECADES. NO ONE IS EVEN 1/4TH OF WHAT STERN IS, NOT POPULARITY, LISTENERSHIP, ANYTHING. NO ONE. EVER. ONE OF A KIND. HMMMMMM STILL THINKING? MAYBE YOU ARE THE SAME GUYS WHO DON'T BELEIVE IN JESUS CHRIST!! ANOTHER, IF NOT THE FIRST, PERSON THAT WAS, YES, JUST A MAN, BUT THE ONLY ONE OF HIS KIND. NO ONE EVR AS POPULAR, EVER. NEVER. BUT YET 2/3RDS OF THE FUCKING WORLD FOLLOWS HIM, FOR 2000+ YEARS!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MAN!! I AM SPENDING THIS TIME AND EFFORT, BECAUSE I BELEIVE IN HOWARD STERN, AND LOOK UP TO HIM, AND ADMIRE HIM. HE IS NOT JESUS CHRIST.

HOWARD STERN IS THE ONLY OTHER ONE-GUY THAT HAS IMPACTED SO MANY, THAT EVEN NON-BELEIVERS, CRITICS, OR CHEAP SELF HATEING ASSHOLES, THAT FEEL THAT THEY DON'T DESERVE TO SPEND $12 A MONTH ON THEMSELVES, TO GET ALL THOSE STATIONS, ALL THAT COMEDY, ALL THOSE SHOWS, SONGS, TALK SHOWS, DEBATES, AND OF COURSE THE MOST STELLAR RADIO SHOW TO EVER HIT THE PLANET. EVER. CHECK OUT THE SHOW ARCHIVES ON HOWARDSTERN.COM YOU HAVE MISSED THE SIDE SPLITTING HYSTERICAL ANTICS, OF THE GREATEST RADIO SHOW IN THE WORLD. DUDE ONE OF THE SHOW WRITERS, RICHARD CRISTY, GOT A BRAZILIAN BIKINI WAX ON THE AIR, REBROADCAST ON HOWARD-TV. SIDE SPLITTING HYSTERICAL LAUGH TILL YOU PISS YOUR PANTS, AS THIS GUY GETS THE PUBIC HAIRS RIPPED OUT OF HIS NUTS, AND TAINT, AS HE SCREAMS BLODDY MURDER, AS A LOYAL DISCIPLE, OF HOWARD STERN!!

AHHH, THAT'S IT. ENOUGH SAID. I GUESS YOU JUST DON'T GET IT.

MAYBE IN A YEAR OR TWO, WHEN SIRIUS HAS DOUBLE THE SUBSCRIBERS THAN XM DOES, AND SIRIUS TAKES OVER XM, AND EXTERMINATES THE OPUS & ANUS A-HOLES, YOU WILL GET IT THEN.

EVERY STERN HATER, EVENTUALLY MIGRATES OVER. I DEFY YOU - NOT TO!!!!!

CBS SHOULD FIGURE OUT THE OBVIOUS ANSWER TO THEIR RIDICULOUS FRIVOLUS LAW SUIT, AND SIMULCAST HOWARD STERN BACK ON 92.3 & SELL ALL THE ADVERTISING - 22 MINUTES PER HOUR, AND CUT IT TO PIECES, SO THAT ALL THE KIDS OUT THERE, CAN LISTEN ANONIMOUSLY, AND MISS HALF THE SHOW, RATHER THAN TREAT THEMSELVES TO THE REAL DEAL, THE ONLY DEAL. SHOW ME ONE, JUST ONE, OTHER ENTERTAINING RADIO SHOW, THAT HAS YOU SO INTERESTED, SO RIVITED, LAUGHING SO HARD, THAT YOU CAN NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR! A SHOW THAT HAS YOU UNABLE TO TURN IT OFF, EVEN FOR QA FEW MINUTES TO GO INSIDE OR TO WORK, AND TURN IT BACK ON, BUT DON'T WANT TO MISS A SECOND!!!

ENOUGH!

POINT IS CBS, THAT IS WHERE ALL THE LISTENERS ARE. THEY ARE OUT THERE. PUT STERN BACK ON 92.3 AND MILLIONS OF PAUPERS WILL LISTEN AGAIN, CAUSE THERE SIMPLY IS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. THERE NEVER WAS, THERE NEVER WILL BE. PUT HIM BACK, EVEN THOUGH HE IS BETTER AND UNCENSORED ON SATELLITE, ALL THE MILLIONS THAT ARE NO WHERE, OR LISTENING TO CD'S OR MP3'S, INSTEAD OF THE RADIO, WOULD BE RIGHT BACK. PERIOD.

PERHAPS THE GUYS THAT ARE ALL OVER E-BAY, GETTING RICH, SELLING STERN SHOW COLLECTIONS & CD'S ARE THE REASON THAT THE MILLIONS VANISHED! MAYBE THEY ARE IN FACT ;LISTENING TO HOWARD, THE ABBSOLUTE UNCONTESTED KING OF ALL MEDIA, & THE GREATEST BROADCASTER OF THE MILLENIUM....

PERIOD.

ENOUGH SAID.

I AM A STERNFAN, WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2006 @ 9:51pm

^^^ perfect example of what a person who is too cheap to buy a new $6 keyboard because his current one has a broken caps-lock key.
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Matt, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:28pm

Where did we go?
I can only speak for myself, but I had an inkling way back when that many Stern fans wouldn't follow, and it was not for the reason of having to PAY to hear Stern now.

It was, rather, the radical politicization of the show and complete flip-flopping of Howard since roughly the time of the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" controversy. Since two days after that incident, Howard declared himself an "anybody but Bush guy," despite praising Bush for going after terrorists (the drone plane firing the missle in Yemen, for example.) And it got worse from there, day by day, eventually in the adulation of Michael Moore by Stern. I knew I made the right decision to stop listening when I read an online news story that said that Howard claimed he considers Jane Fonda a heroic patriot.

That was it.

Done.

Howard had a good run with me... from the late 80s until 2003. Not bad, all in all.

But it's over, now, Johnny... it's over. Never again.
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doug, 11 Apr 2006 @ 11:33pm

Perhaps they stopped listening to the radio.
Perhaps they stopped listening to the radio. Bought an ipod or dusted off their walkman.
When Howard Stern could be heard in Montreal, Canada, I remember the bus being full of radio-toting business folk listening to the show. I knew they were listening to the show because we'd all react at the same time - laughing, chuckling, eyes-widening.

But then he was pulled. And with it so did people's tiny radios. They went back to reading the newspaper, their magazine, or catching valuable zzzs on the way to work.

You won't find them - cuz they're gone.
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J, 12 Apr 2006 @ 12:59am

I used to listen to Stern when I was in my teens. All his jokes are geared at the young and immature. As I got older I started to appreciate the finer aspects of comedy. I discovered this delightful thing that the British have. It's called wit. I imagine that if I gave him another chance then I might enjoy small parts of his show because everyone needs to take a break from thinking everyonce in a while, but the fact of the matter is that no intelligent person will ever truly be a fan of Howard Stern. I think Mike Sternfanatic is all the proof that I need of this too. If he or anybody else that is a Stern fan reads this post they will no doubt attack me in some vulgar and obsene manner, but that will just prove my point all the more.
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- jp, 12 Apr 2006 @ 6:01am
  
  Re:
  You clearly have no proof whether Stern fans are intelligent or not. some are a little slow, some probably are a little nuts, but Stern appeals to a wide variety of demographics. I happen to know a Doctor and a Lawyer who both listen to stern, I also know a landscaper, and a server in a restaurant who listen. You can find all levels of intelligence in stern fans. Sternfanatic, who may or may not have been drunk when he voiced his opinion, is generally right. Stern is the best and I shouldn't even waste my time explaining why.
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asdfjkl;, 12 Apr 2006 @ 11:04am

FM? XM? I'm confused. Is that a new kind of MP3 that I can download to my iPod? That's all I listen to... :-)
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Dave, 12 Apr 2006 @ 11:34am

It seems to me that the 50+ posts are a fair sign the Stern train is still runing as strong as ever.

No one seemed to point out the huge stock bonus he got when he strated. They were based on subscription levels Sirius was hopping to hit years down the road.

Obviously the other listeners went to a variety of other sources and are hard to measure. What the numbers do show is how many people are willing to pay for something that once was free. So any conent companies should look at Stern's 30% and consider that the absolute top end for any pursuit.
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The Mirror, 12 Apr 2006 @ 1:45pm

Forum Reflection...
blah blah blah blah (*insert pointless information) bab blahbla blah blaaah bab blah blah babab (*insert worthless opinion) ababablah bablah blah blah blabblah blababab (*insert lame joke) ba bablah blah blah bab blablah blah bababa blah (*insert confirmation that we're all a bunch of losers with nothing better to do with our lives than write meaningless garbage on a website noone cares about anyway) bab blah blah.
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b0b, 12 Apr 2006 @ 3:37pm

Well, he did help Sirius hit subscriber forecasts well ahead of expectations. Can't say that's a bad thing.

And geez, people.. Sirius has over 150 other channels. They add great stuff all the time. It's not all about Howard Stern, although he has really helped them out.
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Trigger hippY, 12 Apr 2006 @ 5:57pm

Who cares where the other listeners went?
Before Howard got onto Sirius, they had roughly 300,000 subscribers which equates to rougly $3,900,000 per month or rougly $46,000,000 per year. After Howard came aboard, they recently hit the 4,000,000 subscriber mark which equates to $51,800,000 per month or $621,600,000 per year. I think it was well worth the $500,000,000 Sirius spent to get Howard. So who should care where the cheap ass listeners who didn't want to spend 43 cents a day went. All I know is that they're missing out on some great programming.

One thing that I have found that people who criticize Howard Stern is that they've never listened to him or only briefly listened to him for a few minutes before they decide he's a scumbag piece of crap. If you start to listen to the show, you start to realize what a decent guy he is and his honesty is refreshing in a crowd of kiss ass DJs on the radio.

One last thing before I sign off. There is no other show on the radio OR television like the Howard Stern show. What other show had Jenna Jameson riding a sybian machine while P. Diddy is watching on a monitor in Gary's studio only to come in later and introduce himself to Jenna Jameson. What other show had Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne on talking about how Ozzy was going to kill Sharon at one time and how their kids were on drugs and who they are "doing" in hollywood. The list of great interviews goes on and on and is only going to get better and also their other bits like Stump the Booey and crank calls are great. This humor isn't for everyone and if you don't like it, Sirius offers other channels for the Howard Stern hater such as the Marth Sterwert channel or the Starz channel.
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- paul, 6 Aug 2006 @ 12:00am
  
  Re: Who cares where the other listeners went?
  Howard stern is so tired. Nobody cares if Howard stern is on the radio or not. He's not been funny in years. Stern is a tired old man. A hasbeen shamless exploiter. The only people more sad than howard are his pathtic staff who degrade themselves every day for a paycheck.
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Ray, 12 Apr 2006 @ 11:04pm

Stern's Honesty?
I love it how people constantly call Stern honest. You mean how he's honest about his movie being a big hit, his being #1 in every market he used to be on, that he did not become the very person he used to make fun of by getting a divorce and then a trophy girlfriend, his censoring of rival DJ's from talking about him while he plays the victim of censorship, his being a champion of free speech when he danced on the graves of people who ran afoul after speaking their mind (Dixie Chicks anyone?).
Cruelty isn't honesty, and cruelty is what Stern and his clones peddle, whether it's brutalizing or degrading women or getting away with blatantly racist stuff. But that's ok, keep being an apologist for him, he's certainly making tons on money from this trash........
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Trigger hippY, 13 Apr 2006 @ 12:09am

Jaded Ray
C'mon Ray. Yeah Howard talks about himself alot but that's not the honesty I'm talking about. The honesty I'm talking about is how he says he has an ugly face, how he says his dick is small, how he says he was a loser in high school, how he says his dad treated him like crap when he was growing up. Also, you can't deny the fact that he gets the most out of celebrities during an interview. He gets celebrities to answer questions that they wouldn't answer anywhere else.

Ray, I don't get the part where you say he censors rival DJs from talking about him. How would HE be able to censor them except censor them on his show and quite frankly, Howard gets a hold of negative comments about him and plays them on the air and Howard and his crew just usually laugh about it. Also, Howard admits he's wrong all the time and isn't too proud to say he's wrong.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Apr 2006 @ 8:58am

baba booey
baba booey
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Apr 2006 @ 8:58am

baba booey
baba booey
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kl, 13 Apr 2006 @ 3:50pm

"No one cared when Q&A got fired. No one cared when they got hired by XM."

Yep, that's why O&A's channel is the 2nd-most popular one on XM, which has 2.5 million more subscribers than Sirius.
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- JP, 13 Apr 2006 @ 7:22pm
  
  Re:
  Give me a fucking break, XM's subscription base has nothing to do with O&A. they have steadily grown their subscription numbers over the last few years because Howard hadn't announced going to Sirius yet and XM looked pretty good. When howard announced, Sirius subs. skyrocketed three million in over a year,there was nothing like that when O&A went to XM Also, XM's growth slowed down considerably after Howard made the announcement and even slower lately, to the extreme that XM begs people who are cancelling by lowering the price to 3$. . Also does anybody remember any news coverage of o&A going to XM? not me. And lastly, how do you know o&A have the number 2 show, do they release the ratings?. If sirius showed their ratings its petty obvious that Stern would be the number 1 show. number 2 is nothing to brag about.
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Frankie, 13 Apr 2006 @ 9:49pm

the bottom line is that this post was started about howard stern, and no other single person would bring about such lenghty debate. satelite radio has entered a new era since stern joined it
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kl, 14 Apr 2006 @ 12:16am

"number 2 is nothing to brag about."

Just refuting "Nobody cares about O&A." Obviously, a lot of people do.
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JP, 14 Apr 2006 @ 10:03pm

But do they actually release ratings? I'm not trying to start something , just wanna know.
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ML, 16 Apr 2006 @ 6:31pm

Sirius
Had XM for about two years, but I enjoy the NFL over baseball and I am impressed by the better music lineup on Sirius. Howard is there and is not my main reason for switching, but he is entertaining. I think Sirius will overtake XM in the near future. I should also add that their products are much better. I activated my radio online and my radio was on within one minute! When I tried this with XM lat year, it took two to three hours for activation!
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JOE, 24 Apr 2006 @ 3:16pm

Stern over rated..
He's shot his best. Now how will he add to his audience?..he's not worth paying for. From 20 mill ten years a go a audience of one tenth -or less of that. King of spin is what he has become.
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JOE, 24 Apr 2006 @ 3:16pm

Stern over rated..
He's shot his best. Now how will he add to his audience?..he's not worth paying for. From 20 mill ten years a go a audience of one tenth -or less of that. King of spin is what he has become.
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Jeff, 26 Apr 2006 @ 6:25pm

Howard Stern
Reading this article, I suppose I should consider myself lucky to have gotten my Sirius Satellite Radio subscription before the "deadline"! "Deadline" you ask? Well, reading this dopes article would make you believe there was a deadline to subscribe to Sirius for Howard Stern. "Now that Stern switched over and only a small fraction followed"? So, I take it if you did not sign up in the first three months then you are out of luck. Forget the fact that in many areas, Sirius equipment is SOLD OUT, and people are waiting to have an opportunity to purchase one. Or the fact that not everyone has the ability to shell out $150 to get started by buying their units and paying that monthly fee. Although it's not a ridiculous amount, not everyone can absorb that bill right away. But, since the "deadline" has passed, they mine as well forget it now. What about the title of this absurd article: saying a fraction of his listeners have followed Stern. 30% of 12 million in just 3 months may be a record setting in ANY MEDIA!!!
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ErikaG, 27 Apr 2006 @ 5:53am

Ex-Howard Fan
I listened to Howard for 12 years and though I was not willing to buy equipment and pay a monthly subscription, I have to say I'm not willing to listen to any of the idiots that are on in the morning. There is no morning show worth listening to, they all suck! I listened to Howard for 2 hrs a day I now listed to Scott and Todd for 5 minutes at 7:30 for the phone scam that’s about it!
I fully understand how more than 50% of Howard’s audience disappeared... FM radio sucks in the morning since he left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Apr 2006 @ 2:28pm

Shaky math
Ok, I just don't get it. Everyone seems to be attributing Sirius' ENTIRE growth from the day Howard made an announcement (around 300,000 "subs" in Oct 2004?) ... until now ... (around 4,000,000 "subs" now?) to Howard himself.

A bit intellectually bankrupt, IMO. Of course, the Howard Stern fans would like to say that 100% of the 3.7 million subscriber increase was due to him and him alone ... as if Sirius subscriptions would have stopped dead cold on that day that in October when the announcement was made, and wouldn't have signed up any subscribers on their own.

That kind of logic would insult the intelligence of the common house plant.

And then don't forget that the speculation is out there that Sirius and XM count their subscribers differently. Namely, that Sirius' numbers are based on radios in the field -- NOT ACTIVATED -- sitting on car dealers' lots....

http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/2005/10/11/sirius_subscriber_numbers_sligh/

And then you have some really smart guys from Wharton (arguably one of the top 10 post-graduate schools in the country, including Trump himself) who are convinced that Sirius would have actually gotten to their current subscriber levels with or without Stern ....

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1393.cfm

So it's like hopping on a moving train, and then trying to take credit that it is going forward. Sirius was going forward before Howard in particular, and satellite radio subscriptions were increasing in general (XM had a good year for subs, if I recall correctly). Did he cause an increase? Yes, sure. Of course he did. But it was more like a slight bump than any type of rocketship growth. Sorry to disappoint you.

So yes, Howard lost almost all of his fan base. At the insane-math end of things, assuming ALL of 3m new subs over the roughly 15 month period were due to Howard and nothing else -- he supposedly lost 70% of his fan base. But if you come back to planet earth and join reality like the ret of us ... you'll recognize that Sirius probably would have picked up half of that subscriber base on its own anyway .... which means Howard probably lost more like 85-90% of his fan base.

They're gone -- and gone for good. I predict that in 2 years his TV show will be gone, and then he'll drift into relative mediocrity like so many before him - Greaseman, Imus, etc.
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welcomesite, 3 May 2006 @ 5:24am

Bow to Howard, you assmunchers
You turds who try to defame Stern are laughable.
He is doing great. Sirius is doing great.
His fans are thrilled.

His subscriptions are eclipsing the once very dominant XM.

The media keeps trying to put bad spin on the situation.
News flash retards: The same media groups that are afraid
of his satellite revolution own the other media outlets that are trashing his success.

The latest triumph of Stern will be undeniable,
as soon as the year end numbers are in.
You phonies won't be able to push your fake spin any longer.

Shit eating cocksuckers.
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welcomesite, 3 May 2006 @ 5:28am

losers who can't afford Sirius
It's so funny listening to the losers who can't afford 40 cents a day.

Your life must be a real mess, if you are willing to listen to inferior entertainment,
clogged with hours of unbearable advertising,
simply because you're too poor or cheap to pay 40 cents a day.

You desperately miss Howard...
but instead of acknowledging that,
you bash him, to avoid facing the truth about yourself.
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- Willy Nilly, 16 May 2006 @ 12:25pm
  
  Re: losers who can't afford Sirius
  It's not that people can't afford 40 cents a day. They just don't think Howard is worth it
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bubbleboy, 3 May 2006 @ 5:47am

If Howard got 1 1/2 million people to pay for radio for the first time in their lives, that's amazing. No other radio personality could get more than 1/10 of that, maybe Junkie Limbaugh at 10%
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Cyber Bishop, 3 May 2006 @ 6:05am

Howard has brought so many people over to Sirius in the span of 3 months it is not funny. He will be around a lot longer than the skeptics think he will.
If you miss Howard then simply break and get Sirius. It is well worth it for Howard's channels and all the other content that Sirius broadcasts.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 May 2006 @ 6:34am

Blah, blah, blah.
Good grief folks it's entertainment, thats it. I listen to a mix of NPR, local AM talk radio, and roughly thirty Sirius channels as well as my portable music player. I subscribed to Sirius two years before the Stern deal and I listen to him now daily, though I tune out when the content is uninteresting.

Of course he brought a flood of new subscribers with him and they will continue to come and new fans will come as word spreads into markets never lucky enough to have him on the dial. People will choose Sirius when they buy new cars, more will come when his channels are streamed online, and yet more will come when Sirius portables become available and the bugs are worked out.

People have been down playing Howard his entire career and they have always been wrong.

We are four months into the move to Sirius, I'd like to check back with you in a year and see how things are. By the way how do you like your crow cooked?
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highpowered, 3 May 2006 @ 6:50am

stern rules
Sirius reported that it had surpassed 4 million total subscribers. In an April 17 research note, UBS Investment Research maintained a "buy" rating on Sirius, citing improving fundamentals. The firm expects Sirius to add 711,000 subscribers in the quarter, a 133% year-over-year increase boosted by the addition of HOWARD STERN to the satellite radio service.

http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/01/verizon-sirius-alcan-cx_mr_0501eyeonstocks.html?partner=yahooti x
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clever1, 3 May 2006 @ 6:57am

THE KING
Thanks to the arrival of Howard Stern on the Sirius airwaves back in January, radio fans have ditched their free terrestrial receivers in favor of Sirius in record numbers over the past two quarters. And it's looking to expand on its Stern franchise by letting subscribers stream his unshackled morning show online starting next month.

The company closed out the quarter with 4.1 million subscribers. That's a 149% net improvement from where the company was a year ago, and it translated into a 193% surge in revenue to $126.7 million for the period ending in March.

The favorable momentum now has the company forecasting that it will close out the year with 6.2 million subscribers. Until this morning, the company's year-end target had been to hit only 6 million.

Even though shares are trading at a far cry from their December 2004 peak of $9.43, the fundamentals continue to improve for Sirius. Just as importantly, the company continues to close the subscriber gap with rival XM Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: XMSR). During the first quarter, Sirius landed 149% more subscribers than it had acquired in the same period last year, while XM managed to close out the same quarter with just a 5% subscriber increase

http://www.fool.com/news/mft/2006/mft06050217.htm?source=eptyholnk303100&logvisit=y& amp;npu=y&bounce=y&bounce2=y
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kakes, 3 May 2006 @ 7:32am

My opinion is this: Sirius will surpass XM in 2008 - Sirius will re-sign Howard for an astronomical amount of money and come out the top Satellite provider.

In your prediction you forgot to mention the fact that he will be doing great show and does not have to give a shit what happens outside of the Sirius realm. As long as Sirius begins to generate profit (which they definitely will if they keep playing their cards right) he is doing his job. He brought enough subscribers to pay for himself already (which is all he really needs to do). Undoubtedly, as the receivers become more standard in new cars and those new cars become used cars, with receivers, the listeners who heard and loved Howard on terrestrial radio will come back to the service with Howard.

3rd party hardware companies will produce more affordable hardware that is fixed to recieve both services and Sirius will be big. There may be room for both to exist but Sirius will surpass XM in 2008.
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Disciple, 3 May 2006 @ 8:54am

NPR?
So many posters here are practically bragging that they listen to NPR now instead of moving to Sirius to stay with Howard.

I'm embarrassed for you.
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Gateway, 5 May 2006 @ 12:33am

Stern's been on a roll lately.
If you're Sirius whose user base was barely 650,000 before Stern was considered and is now 4 million then his hiring was a damn brilliant move. Add to that the Sirius brand name is as identifiable--if not more so than XM--with satellite radio because of the months long media coverage of Stern's hiring then it's been a success.

As for the Howard Stern the radio the show's been doing in the last few weeks iare some of the best shows they've ever done.
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Derek, 6 May 2006 @ 8:40pm

O&A Suck
You know, I would be pretty f'n pissed if I was one of the dumbasses who bought XM for Opie and Anthony...only to have them now do the majority of their show for free on terrestrial radio. Basically, you are paying for 2 hours of a 5 hour show. Not only that, but now those first 3 hours are virtually "clean". Why would they make this move for any other reason than XM is seriously feeling the heat of Sirius. I just can't wait until CBS decides to sue them for talking about XM on CBS airwaves.
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Mario Sanchez, 22 May 2006 @ 9:31pm

Last year Stern's ratings plummeted in EVERY one of his markets, except one: San Francisco. Interesting, no? Just has Howard's traditional fan based felt alienated by Howard's sudden and bizzare left wing rants, his San Francisco market goes up. Well, Howie, at least they love in you SF and Hollywood now.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349679
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james, 4 Jun 2006 @ 10:44pm

satelite radio
i bought an xm radio because i travel, and get buttloads of music and news whenever i want.

now i have two points.

1 - anyone who thinks that all of those 3 million listeners are listening to howard, is completely off his rocker. that assinine.

2 - anyone who thinks oprah and her fan base isn't going to drown out sirius, is also thinking un-clearly with peanut sized brain. i hate oprah, but am smart enough to know she has a much MUCH greater following than howard, o & a, or any other douche out there. oprah to xm will be a gold mine, and i would venture to say, probably put sirius into bankruptcy, or at least kill the fan base.
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Adrianne Curry, 8 Jul 2006 @ 6:08pm

I'm sure in the end both sirus and xm will end up successful...
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brian moore, 17 Aug 2006 @ 6:32pm

The DEMON :
I completely AGREE with you, kind Sir: This "ANUS-FACED YAPPER," Howard STERN, continues to DESTROY, daily, our NATION-STATE, Our SPECIES, Our Mother, EARTH, that "MUTHA," STERN, is DESTROYIN' HER!!!
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Suzy Que, 28 Aug 2006 @ 3:09am

Howard Stern's Lost Listeners all have iPods now... they are at iTunes. Satellite Radio's biggest enemy is the iPod. Most people would rather choose what they listen to rather than listen to some random music or babble.
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xmgurl, 19 Sep 2006 @ 8:19pm

XM Ratings and Sirius's Ratings
THIS IS FROM ORBITCAST SO ALL YOU HOWARD FUCKTARDS READ AND WEAP!!!

Interestingly enough, at least in the 'news to me' category, Sirius and XM count their subscriber numbers differently from each other. I was never aware of this, but I'm sure a bunch of you stock/investor geeks have been all over this already. For the rest of us who can barely spell "CFBE" it's sort of eye opening.

Apparently Legg Mason analyst Sean Butson was speculating that XM Satellite Radio has hit 5 Million subscribers this past weekend - basing his figures on "recent auto and retail trends." In his report, he said something verrrry curious that was also echo'd in last Wednesday's BoA Investment Conference.

Shall I quote?

Based on recent auto and retail trends, we believe XM is on pace to cross the 5M subscriber mark this weekend.

If the company counted subscribers when the car is delivered to the dealer (similar to Sirius) instead of when the car is sold, we believe XM would have nearly 5.5M subscribers due to the 400,000-500,000 XM-installed autos sitting on lots.

Importantly, if XM did adjust its subscriber count to match its competitor, this would reduce ARPU by about 7%-9% due to the fact that despite different subscriber recognition, Sirius and XM both recognize auto revenue when the car is sold. Churn would decline by a similar percentage.

So wait. Sirius counts a subscription when it's delivered to the dealership (essentially "sold" to the dealer), whereas XM counts a subscription when it's... activated (after the "trial" period?!). If you anyone has more info to add to this, I'd really be interested. It's hard to compare the subscriber numbers between the two when there's no standard for measurement.
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- Mike, 24 Oct 2006 @ 10:11am
  
  Re: XM Ratings and Sirius's Ratings
  What is orbit cast? Where did they get there Stats from? Orbitcast is a nothing website. Loser
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Me, 29 Oct 2006 @ 3:54pm

Stern show rocks, and you all know it
Howard Stern is the trend setter for providing a show that you can laugh to EVERY TIME you listen to it. He says what he wants, regardless of what anyone thinks, and that is exactly what we all want for ourselves. THAT IS WHY EVEN THE SO CALLED STERN HATERS CAN'T STOP LISTENING. Anyone that bashes him, but have not really listened enough to GET the show, is just ignorant to what Stern's entertainment is all about.
He has always been, and always will be successful in what he sets out to do, which is probably what makes some people hate him too.
I for one, have SIRIUS because of Howard, and his loveable staff. but even aside from Howard, Sirius is a very worthwhile investment. It is the ultimate in entertainment, given all the other crap that is out there on TV. To all you bashers: Just get over it, lighten up a little. Whether you love him or hate him, Howard will make you laugh...guaranteed...EVERY DAY. How can you hate that??
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KMC, 11 Nov 2006 @ 4:42am

howard is dead
I was one of the 20 million free radio listeners. I loved the show, however we all have challenges in our businesses- Howard's was to be funny and keep within FCC guidelines. He basically sold his soul and went for the money. Now his 20 million listerners have dwindled to 3, but he's a mega millionnaire and those that followed are all suckers. In the end he was just another divorced money grubbing celeb.
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Tucker, 5 Mar 2007 @ 9:51pm

Do some research
I am one of the loyal Stern listeners that followed him to Sirius...there have been about 6 million so far. That is more listeners than Jay Leno has viewers! Although I do enjoy NPR my not-so-dirty secret is that I listen to Howard all day-even while I sleep he is on because I frequently suffer from insomnia. Our home/cars have 3 subscriptions so far & are heading for our 4th in our next car & we wouldn't have it any other way!
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Tucker, 5 Mar 2007 @ 9:52pm

Do some research
I am one of the loyal Stern listeners that followed him to Sirius...there have been about 6 million so far. That is more listeners than Jay Leno has viewers! Although I do enjoy NPR my not-so-dirty secret is that I listen to Howard all day-even while I sleep he is on because I frequently suffer from insomnia. Our home/cars have 3 subscriptions so far & are heading for our 4th in our next car & we wouldn't have it any other way!
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Mike - Sternfanatic, 31 Mar 2007 @ 8:35pm

ALL THE HOWARD HATING MORONS !!!!
Well it has been almost one year since my last post, concerning HOWARD STERN's sirius radio show, and the undeniable facts that exist therein! Some of the responses to the subject matter here is absolutely pitiful & hysterical. It seems that the Stern Haters or Ex-Listener's make no sense at all. Oh, and FYI, my keyboard works just fine, and I do not drink! That being said. My offer still stands, now one year later, on the eve of Howard's Sirius Satellite Radio's upcoming TAKEOVER - AQUISITION of XM !!!!! I DEFY ANYONE TO PRODUCE ANYONE WHO HAS HOWARD"S SUCCESS. Period. Can't be done. Oh Well, I am not surprised in the least! Tell me again how Howard Stern sucks , and is over. Uh ha ha ha ha ha. How stupid you look, and how inept you must feel. STERN 6,500,000 MILLION FOLLOWERS PLUS !!! TAKING OVER XM !!! BETTER THAN EVER !!!!! UH What was your point? Uh What were you saying ? Assholes. Try keeping your soup cooler shut till you have the facts, or at least all the info. Stupidity = NON HOWARD FANS. You guy's are looking pretty sad about now. The proof if right in front of your face. Drop the sorry bullshit, and admit the obvious truth about the King of all Media.

Come on give Sirius 100 & 101 a try, Treat yourself.

Come back to where you belong.

Mike - Sternfanatic
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Rob, 3 Apr 2007 @ 11:25am

Howard Lost Listeners Because HE IS TALENTLESS
Basically, Howard Stern is another perfect example of a talentless jack-a$$ who lucked out. He's a mental mess, and he makes it like he does groundbreaking stuff. Meanwhile, he's only a copycat who talks useless nonsense and is in no way funny. I think this new hype about him claiming to bring Sanjaya in American Idol to the top is a complete joke. He is taking credit for something that is inevitable. Sanjaya is an Indian, There are 1,678,765 Indian Americans in the USA Since 1990-2000 the overall growth rate for Indian Americans was 105.87%. Give me a friggin break Howard Stern, again his little inferioriority complex forces him to make it like it is him who is causing the talentless American Idol Contestant to win. Just go back to your shrink instead of feeding people with your BS.
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Dugan, 22 Jul 2007 @ 2:31pm

Stern's Sirius numbers inflated
I always found it comical how the Stern fans are showing he has over two million listeners who followed him to Sirius when in fact, these numbers are simply inflated because they're counting EVERYBODY that ever purchased a Sirius radio during Stern's stint regardless of the reason. Sirius is now being offered as an option for new car purchases and THEY'RE EVEN including THOSE FIGURES as part of Stern's Sirius fan base. Incredible.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Nov 2007 @ 8:46am

Howard has alienated a vast portion of his listening crowd simply due to politics.

I am one who purchased Sirius once Howard announced his move - that was a year before he actually moved.

Since that time Howard has deemed himself to have a sort of judicial independence whereas he couldn't care what he says and whether or not some of his personal politics should be kept in check - granted Sterns politics were much different prior to his move - or so he seemed to make it.

Robin still gives nothing to the program other than her annoying laughs.

*Poof* - there went my five Sirius subscription.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2007 @ 3:43am

no one seems to have raised this point - how many people are just downloading stern for free?
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ommata, 28 Apr 2008 @ 5:05pm

stern has no meaning or importance.
next.
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doug, 12 Jun 2008 @ 10:52am

stern sucks
Why would I pay to hear the same old very tired stern schtick? If you saw the old E channel show back a few years...its the same thing. same jokes. same "did your uncle molest you?" crap. stern listeners are people who just don't wanna give up high school.
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TGhez, 6 Jan 2009 @ 4:24pm

Howie's just plain irrelevant these days. Same crap, nothing new. I unsubsribed my best of sirrus after listening to his ame old BS...if satellite dies thank him!
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rendom, 6 Feb 2009 @ 7:14am

megaupoad downloading
Lots of the files from the Megaupload system at the global web are available for downloading at http://megaupload.name/ without registration!
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Ashley's new Daddy, 8 Feb 2009 @ 4:16pm

Howard lied about the "Revolution", and the result is that soon satellite radio will be gone. The 4 day workweeks, constant vacations, and the general lack of interest in his show has driven away most of the loyal fans who followed him to Sirius. Throw in Beth, HTV and his new Hamptons crowd and you have a show that is as cutting edge as a bowling ball.

It's a shame that Howard's legacy will tarnished by the last move of his career which was made out of pure greed.

I, along with many other fans will be canceling Sirius for good on March 11 when the price effect takes effect. Mel lied about the price increase, and for me it was the last straw.

Screw Howard, Mel, and Sirius.
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Hank the Angry Dwarf's Ghost, 2 May 2009 @ 4:41am

The Stern Show Sucks !!
The Stern show sucks . Artie Lang is a Fat depressing hack who has something to say about everything. The once edgy shock jock who took shit from no one married into hollywood and became famous. He now sucks ass is politically correct and bows to the hollywood he once thumbed his nose at!!. Jackie is gone. All we hear about is richard and sal's homo shit, Artie's eating and heroin habits , Robins colon cleansing and Howard and that bimbo's marriage. No more retards, quiffing , farting and midget's . The show is lame ! It sucks ! It's a Rip OFF !!!
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Ricardovitz, 17 Nov 2009 @ 8:48am

Is that thar Stern feller still yapp'n on Radio?
That Stern feller used to make me laugh some way back yonder in the early 1990's. Then he jest got all old and stupid. Tain't nothin but talkin' bout strippers and people makin porn movies. If'n I warnt to watch porn, all I gotta do is stomp on my keyboard some and thar it is - porn a popp'n up fer anyone ta see.

But, this here Stern feller, he make a big deal out of it - dern't never knowed why.

When that boy Stern poked fun at retards and niggers, and was helpin out thar KKK, he was real funny.

Now he ain't nothin but a Jew suck'n up whatever money he can git his hands on from that thar pay-fer-fools radio.
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Tom Smith, 6 Mar 2010 @ 4:19pm

Give up the Ghost, Howard
Howard Stern peaked in 1994, with the Murderer's Row of Jackie, Fred, and Billy West.

Stern was still funny thru 1999.

But then he violated the "Fourth Wall".

The Howard Stern "character" he pretended to be, middle-class, harried, husband/father, at war with the establishment, gave way to aging, super wealthy,
Manhattan playboy,
who's "battles" with the FCC seemed tiresome and phony.

I guess when you sleep with young models you become unfunny.

The Stern post-1999:
1. Accounts of his evenings at NuBar and Le Cerq
2. "Hello honey, hello snukums" love-ins with that insipid girlfriend.
3. "Discussions" of Reality TV and his bulldog.
4. Artie complaining he "lost money bettin' on da Mets".
5. And of course, Robin's cackle, and I'm beginning to doubt she's even in the studio, I think it's pre-recorded.
Surely, there is not enough real humor on the show for Robing to giggle at.

The last nail in the already sealed coffing was the move to satellite.

The moment Howard said "Fuck",
he could no longer claim irreverance.

I came to realize the bleeps on free radio were funnier than expletives.

I never paid for Howard on Sirius,
but forced myself recently to listen to
some audio clips on YouTube.

Let me tell you, the Z Morning Zoos Howard used to lacerate had more stupid energy than Stern's snorefest.

There is no rationale,
no artistic justification for Stern to continue.

Howard, you're embarrasing yourself,
go away.

Advice from a former huge fan.
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