Somehow, I don't believe that Stern's "suspension" is due to the N word

[zbdent]

Think about it.

Clear Channel is pretty much bought and paid for by Right leaning (if not outright rightwing) owners and DJs. Sure, the let a few slip in. Randi Rhodes is barely on them.

San Diego, isn't that a rather conservative area?

There are six stations that CC owns, that are tossing out Howard, if only temporarily.

Rush Limbaugh makes innuendo and semi-racists comments.

Mike Trivissono WTAM-1100 Cleveland ("38 states and half of Canada", he boasts), on Tuesday, shouted out about somebody: "I don't care what they say, he's an ASSHOLE!". No bleeps, nothing. Oh, yesterday, we hear him on the radio (STILL!), blathering about the new "rules" of decency and obscenity. Yet he was still broadcasting yesterday. And some of the WTAM staff were backing him.

What happened yesterday is that Howard Stern was blatantly lambasting the Republicans, calling them a CULT. He had Al Franken on (I believe; I don't get to listen that long in the mornings). Franken originally was scheduled to debate their favorite staffer who was blatantly Repuke. The guy stated he didn't want to debate somebody who had the facts (a rather common trend amongst Repukes), but he wanted to debate his co-workers (a.k.a. regular people who don't have the time or resources to constantly research and counter the RW talking points memos issued daily).

Howard Stern was not shut down (in the six cities) due to some idiot caller calling black celebrities Ni--ers.

Howard Stern was shut down on Clear Channel stations because he finally had enough of the BUSHI- that the Repukes have been allowing to happen. He may not ever come over to the Dems, but he was, at least for one day, spewing some attacks against the Bush house of cards.

[Armand]

1. Here we go again.

:tinfoilhat:

[BlueEyedSon]

3. Howard has been lewd, crude, sexist and racist for decades.

Funny how the day he criticized the prez he gets canned.

[nedlogg]

2. Doesn't it seem odd . . .

that Stern gets suspended from the Clear Channel stations on the same day he alledgedly bashed Bush & Co?

[tomreedtoon]

4. Howard Stern and Alan Freed...

Both Stern and Freed were famous for "controversial" material. Stern claimed he wanted on his tombstone the words he introduced to radio, "penis and vagina." Freed popularized the phrase "rock and roll" (which suggested sex) and played black musicians on the air that weren't humble, Nat King Cole types.

Both were thrown off the air for scandals in conservative Republican times, after Congressional hearings. Stern's boss, Mel Karmazan (spelling?) testified before Congress about "obscenity" in radio. Freed testified in "payola" hearings, and stuffed the gallery of Congress with his teenage fans.

But it goes beyond these political things, too. Both men were immensely popular, and had huge egos. Both tried to get away with all kinds of things. Freed was stupid with money and got into tax trouble, assuming that he'd always make enough money to catch up. The immense audiences he drew to his Paramount live shows made him believe he was invincible. Stern believed that, because he had conservatives on his show and always mocked Clinton and the Democrats, that he'd be insulated from censorship, and that his immense listenership would loudly protest if he were thrown off the air.

Neither Stern nor Freed were particularly generous people, neither one contributing much to charities or selfless causes (which is pretty standard among all celebrities). Neither one took politics seriously, Stern publicly being silly.

When no radio station would hire Freed, he bounced around from small station to smaller station, dying impoverished and sick with cancer while still trying to get a DJ job somewhere. The IRS hounded him to the end of his life about unpaid taxes. While Stern hasn't sunk that low - yet - it wouldn't be surprising if history repeated itself.

If there is a lesson in this, for future air personalities, it might be that you should always be humble, always have a backup career, and have some solid beliefs - better to go down for a principle than for convenience.

[vi5]

5. Huh? Stern had conservatives on who mocked clinton..

stern made clinton jokes in the 90's as most comedians did. And he's had republicans like gulliani and arnold on but they are hardly rabid conservatives.

He voted for Clinton twice and Gore in 2000.

He may not be a dem or even a true "liberal" but he's hardly even in the same league as republican shills like Hannity or Limbaugh or Savage.