“What You Fail to Grasp”

Not a lot of time to post today, but I do want to end the first week of Serious Stern by thanking everyone whose positive feedback has convinced me I’m not alone in thinking there’s more to Howard Stern than boobs and gas (not that there’s anything wrong with that…).

Thanks to the commenters, to the many emailers, to Steve Langford and to Howard himself.

More next week, including my answer to my wife’s question last night, “Aren’t you ever going to write anything crappy about Howard?”

Meanwhile, in the comments section of another blog that attacked Howard as irrelevant and over-rated, both as a performer and as an investment for Sirius, I found this rebuttal, which is as eloquent and informed as anything I’ve read:

Steve, you obviously don’t listen and never have. Your last statement— “Face it, Stern’s creative peak was decades ago. He used to be a very funny guy; now he’s just a very rich man”—shows your insane ignorance of the situation.

First off his show his 10 times better than it ever was on TR [terrestrial radio]. He breaks for commercials once an hour for about 3 minutes. His content and guests are free to speak like normal people do these days- not using the F word every sentence but being able to express normal thoughts that people have without the FCC finsing them every 5 seconds. His interviews are insanely funny and delve into guests live like no one else can and his wack pack- the most incredibly ingenious cast of characters ever along with Richard and Sal are able to pierce the bounderies of comedy like never before. Its just plain entertaining as hell. And no he never ever ever claims that all 20 million subscribers listen to him. What you fail to grasp is that its not about numbers of listeners. And its certainly not about the company’s stock, that, quite frankly a management issue. No it’s about how many people will pay to listen to him, which exactly what the TR business is also. If he is so relevant why is TR tanking right now? And if he is so irrelevant why are TR execs throwing offers at him every week to come back? Why? Because he made that business what it was.

Hey if you’re not a fan Steve I understand but get the facts straight. Sirius started with 385,000 subscribers paying 13.95 per month. Now they have 20 million paying 13.95 per month. Even if only 1.25 Million customers buy Satellite for Stern, that works out to $205 Million per year. Minus his 100 m Contract , sounds to me like Sterns profited them 105 M per Year. Right? Yes.

Amen. And Shabbat Shalom.