Peril in the Air for Bush: Howard Stern

[On the Road]

By Jody Rosen
April 28, 2004

A strange new sound has been crackling over the nation's radio airwaves, the same airwaves that have been dominated by Rush Limbaugh and other specialists in right-wing Sturm und Drang. Suddenly, in the thick of an election year, a left-leaning equivalent has emerged, riling a mass audience with scathing, eloquent attacks on the Bush administration.

The biggest surprise of all? The long-sought liberal talk radio hero isn't Air America's Al Franken, but that walking, talking wedge issue, Howard Stern.

---snip

By all indications, Stern's message is getting through. Since the FCC crackdown, his ratings have been going up. For example, Arbitron says he's now No. 1 in Los Angeles in the 25-to-54 age group, a spot he last occupied in 1995. And among entertainer websites, his was rated second (behind Oprah's) in mid-April.

If Kerry wins a close election in November, he may well owe a debt to the man who calls himself King of All Media. And political analysts may find themselves enshrining another crucial voting bloc, alongside soccer moms and NASCAR dads: Howard Stern fans.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-rosen28apr28,1,6773653,print.story

[MissMarple]

1. Isn't America GREAT! Just when things appear so dark,

we find our patriots and heros in the most unlikely places. A year ago who would have thought Howard Stern would be doing this? I've never listened to him, but I thought he was just a clever, obnoxious shock jock. Now, he's a shock jock turned democratic freedom fighter.
I guess you never know who will turn up in the trenches. I guess it will take all of us, even those who perplex us.

[No2W2004]

2. All my mom would watch for her news was Fux,

Until Howard started talking about shrub,

Now she can't wait to vote for Kerry

[On the Road]

3. I Do Believe Howard will Win It For Kerry

He'll deliver the election. It's a knife into a big chunk of the Republican base.

[andy12]

4. our CRTC, Canada's FCC

banned this gentleman years ago...seems he insulted some of my countrymen...aside from all the noise. this may actually do more to define what free speech is.

andy