Howard Stern announced today that he has re-signed with Sirius for five years. That ends a down-to-the-wire contract negotiation which concluded with just days to go before Howard’s last contract was over. I was one of the voices speculating that Sirius would be making a huge mistake letting Howard go. In this media environment, where consumers have multiple choices for getting news and entertainment, exclusive content is more important than ever. And there is no one like Howard. His departure, as I wrote here, would not only have been bad for Sirius, but bad for society.
This is good. At 57 years old, Howard is still putting out some of the most innovative, boundary-breaking entertainment on air. But he is also making the transition from outlaw to icon, someone venerated and respected in his field. He will be able to attract great guests—he remains one of the best interviewers in all media—, push new boundaries, influence a new generation of creative minds, and keep me from going batshit in LA traffic.
Thanks Mel, thanks Howard….
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