Re: When was Howard fired from WNBC <== Here are some articles from that time period
Harbinge...@yahoonospam.com
By Wayne Robins
October 1, 1985
Newsday
CITY
Off-the-wall Howard Stern is off the air.
Stern, WNBC radio's top-rated on-air personality, was fired yesterday and his controversial program was abruptly canceled.
"Conceptual differences exist between Stern and the management of WNBC radio as to the program," vice president and general manager John P. Hayes Jr. said in a prepared statement.
"As far as I know, I've been given no reason," Stern said last night. "The only thing I'm guilty of is getting the highest ratings the station ever had. The only thing I can think of is that somebody upstairs didn't agree with what I was doing. It was one of those things where they don't even give you a reason."
Stern said he especially was perplexed since he had recently signed a new two-year contract. "My last contract was ripped up; they gave me a big fat raise a couple of months ago," Stern said. "There were no conceptual differences; everyone knew where we were going. We were in complete harmony." Stern wouldn't disclose his salary, but said it was "a hefty six-figure contract."
Jim Kerr, who hosts a morning show on WPLJ-FM, said: "My gut reaction is, I don't think he's fired, I don't think he's off the air. He's one of the more profitable personalities on a station that isn't doing that great. If it's not a hoax, then they're hypocrites, because they created the personality he plays - and promoted it."
According to Stern, the per-minute advertising rate during his show was around $600 a minute. "When I got there, they were getting about $200 a minute," he said.
A station spokeswoman said that there was no single contributing factor to the Stern show's cancellation. His replacement yesterday was Janet from Another Planet. No full-time replacement has been named.
The WNBC announcement simply noted that Stern, who was heard weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m., joined the station in August, 1982. He was noted for his abrasive sense of no-holds-barred humor, and was not beyond insulting ethnic, racial and sexual groups as well as the station management.
The sign on his office at WNBC said "How-weird," and Stern lived up to that. He was no stranger to controversy during his three years in New York radio and a previous stint at WWDC in Washington, where he also was fired. His sketches on WNBC have included "Return of the Jedi Clampetts," an oddball takeoff combining television's "Beverly Hillbillies" with Luke Skywalker; network news parodies that dealt with herpes; and numerous unflattering references to gays.
"What I'm trying to do is actually change the nature of radio humor," Stern told Newsday shortly after beginning his WNBC show. "I'm no comedian, no stand-up comic. We're looking to be more real."
Stern was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, and raised on Long Island, where he began fantasizing about being a disc jockey while in his early teens. His first radio job, at WRNW in Westchester, was followed by moves to Hartford and Detroit.
Stern said he's writing "an inspirational weight-loss book" and will be fielding offers from other radio stations. "I'm just looking to get back on the radio," he said.
*****
LIFESTYLE / ENTERTAINMENT
HOWARD STERN JUST WON'T SHUT UP
By Janet DeStefano, Correspondent
October 27, 1985
The Record, Northern New Jersey
"Hey Howard! Get a job." The shout came at WNBC-AM's former disc jockey Howard Stern as he posed for pictures on East 67th Street.
After finishing an appearance on Bill Boggs's "Midday" show on Channel 5, Stern and afternoon radio sidekick Robin Quivers stepped into a tiny, empty makeup room to talk about life after WNBC. The oft-irreverent team was axed from the network Sept. 30.
There is a tight lid at the station over what prompted the management to fire its highest-rated disc jockey. "Conceptual differences" is about all General Manager John Hayes Jr. will say about the dismissal.
"Conceptual differences is the only reason I've gotten, too," Stern said. "Contrary to what a lot of people think, we got along great. I have no animosity toward the radio management at WNBC, it wasn't their fault. I know the radio division is not responsible for it. I know that someone very high up in the NBC corporation heard the show for the first time, was appalled, and decided we had to go. It couldn't have been a business decision when you bring in $5 million in advertising for a station." It would seem that the radio division did not object to Stern's brand of humor. Television, print, and outdoor advertisements featuring morning man Don Imus and Stern pegged the network's success on the slogan, "If we weren't so bad, we wouldn't be so good." And Stern's show was the most profitable at the station. WNBC management won't discuss how much advertising Stern's show generated. But according to Arbitron ratings this summer, his show earned a 5.9 share, which represents hefty revenues. One rating point represents $1 million in advertising.
Stern's explanation that "someone upstairs" was shocked at some of the things he said doesn't seem too unbelievable. This is a man who - on the air - set up herpes dial-a-dates; talked about having sex with dogs,sadomasochism, and the kinds of birth control he and his wife, Alison, use; and ran a contest for pre-AIDS Rock Hudson look-alikes.
After the Air Florida tragedy in Washington, D.C., in 1982 - in which a Boeing 737 struck a bridge and plunged into the Potomac River, killing 78 people - Stern made an off-the-cuff comment that the airline was going to offer cheaper rates from the airport to the bridge.
Such tacky jokes were probably Stern at his most obnoxious. But Stern says his intentions were never cruel and he has never been ashamed of his comments.
Rather, his routines were meant to be a comic relief from life. They were a catharsis for the often horrible events that make headlines, and an exorcism of the tension created by these tragedies.
"We were topical, always talking about what was going on in the news. And a lot of those happenings were incredibly traumatic and tense. So we looked for the humor," said Stern. "When we made fun of a particularly tense situation, it was a way to blow off steam. It's a way of dealing with all the terrible things that happen and that really upset us deep inside." Added Quivers, who plays straight woman to Stern, "Humor is a tremendous safety valve that prevents people from going crazy from all the pressures in the world. If you can look at something awful and find the funny side, it helps you deal better with what life can throw at you. We were never mean-spirited, never." It seems Stern's on-mike persona is an act. After taping the "Midday" show, Stern became gentle and reserved, his humor intelligent, and - maybe hard to believe - polite and complimentary. Blushing easily, he was uncomfortable talking about how his childhood might have cultivated his brand of humor.
Unlike Stern, Quivers maintains her effervescence on and off the air. And it is Quivers who takes the lead when discussing their future:
"Right now we are trying to make people aware of us as more than radio personalities. We are entertainers. As entertainers, the stage is open to us, so is television, anything really. That's not to say we don't like radio; we love it. But that's not the direction we are looking to right now." One reason may be that they can't. Stern has another two years on his contract with WNBC. The contract forbids him to work at another radio station until 1987.
Stern and Quivers have been a team since 1980 when they began trading barbs in Washington, D.C, where Stern was the highest-rated rock disc jockey. Quivers is a former nurse who left the profession for newscasting school. Although Stern is more famous, he always says that Quivers is just as important to the act as he is - in fact, he insisted she be hired at WNBC with him in 1983.
During the radio show, Quivers delivered the straight lines and broadcast the afternoon news. She laughed, clapped, and cheered Stern's on-air jokes.
Though the future may seem uncertain for this pair, one thing is for sure: Where Howard goes, so goes Robin.
"We're in this together. No way do we separate," said Stern.
"We really support each other. And bounce off each other," Quivers said. "What it comes down to is that we really need each other."
Visually, Stern and Quivers make a striking pair. Stern, decked out this day in black leather pants, a black print shirt, and a bright yellow suede jacket, is a handsome man. He has a long, wavy mane of chestnut hair and pale blue eyes that twinkle when he makes a wisecrack.
Quivers, who recently dropped 50 pounds, looked stunning in an electric yellow shirt, emerald green suede jacket, and high-top Reebok sneakers. Diamond studs adorned her ears.
Stern believes television is a logical step for him and Quivers to take. He says he has been approached by at least 10 production companies interested in producing a television comedy show.
Meanwhile they're taking their act on the road and performing at clubs. They have appearances scheduled at the Candlewood Theater in New Fairfield, Conn., Nov. 16 and at the Club Bene in Sayreville Nov. 22.
"So far $8,000 has gone into this show and I haven't stopped yet. I want to go bankrupt. I don't want to make any money," said Stern, beginning to grin.
"I've gotten really bored with what's going on at these so-called irreverent comedy nightclubs where all anyone is doing is getting up in front of a mike for 45 minutes," he said. "We are going to revolutionize the nightclub scene like we revolutionized radio." Their act will include videos, song parodies performed by Stern's Scum Band, and magic tricks. (Stern's last magic act was on a recent Bill Boggs "Comedy Tonight" show when he bound Boggs to a chair with leather straps. Stern then brought on the guests and hosted the show himself.)
"Club performances are very different from radio. In clubs, you can see people reacting to you and laughing at what you are saying. You can't see anything in radio. The only feedback we got was ratings and we got plenty of them," he said.
The club menu will be similar to his former radio show. In other words, nothing will be safe from Stern's off-the-wall comments.
"It's going to be real outrageous and real fun. That has always been our purpose. To see the humor in life and make people laugh," said Stern as he left the makeup room. He doubled back into the room to make sure he switched off all the lights. "It was really nice of these people to let us use this room. Just want to make sure we left it okay." {BOX}
(SIDEBAR, PAGE e14)
Love and good riddance, Howard
This is what crazy man Howard Stern's radio colleagues in New York are saying about his recent dismissal from WNBC-AM.
"Howard Stern!" grunted Scott Muni from WNEW-FM in that gruff, throaty voice his listeners know so well. "He gave me great publicity for free because he was always attacking me on the air. I don't care what he said, the station and myself were mentioned and that's great.
"I guess Howard was jealous because we have higher ratings with adult males, an important demographic because they like to spend money and advertisers love that. But I miss Howard. Nobody on the radio is calling me a dirty old man anymore." Larry Berger, program director of WPLJ-FM, said "I never listened to Howard because I don't get AM stations on my office radio. But I can tell you one thing, I am sick of hearing about Howard Stern being fired. Let's move on to the next guy. And tell Howard, if you see him, to go out and get a job. Tell him to stop his whining. I can't stand it." Over at WHTZ (Z-100), Scott Shannon didn't return repeated phone calls. Shannon and Stern often insulted each other on their radio programs.
John R. Gambling at WOR didn't return any phone calls either. He's on the air with his father, John A., every weekday morning on the "Rambling With Gambling" show. Stern has suggested that John R. have a blood test done to determine whether he is really John R.'s son.
Valerie Smaldone, night disc jockey at WLTW-FM said, "I used to love to listen to Howard as I drove in to work and he always made me laugh out loud. Personally, I was never offended by anything he said. And he used to make fun of this station all the time. But it was all in good fun. And he did spoofs a la Norman Lear. Everyone took Archie Bunker the wrong way in the beginning until they realized he was spoofing prejudice. And that's what Howard was doing, spoofing all the sick things that go on today.
"But I can understand people having problems with his comedy because radio is a very accessible medium and impressionable teens and yound children only had to flip on the station to hear him. But, still, I'm going to miss Howard. I thought he was a very bright and witty man." JANET DE STEFANO
*****
THE MARVIN KITMAN SHOW
The mouth that polluted New York
MARVIN KITMAN
November 18, 1985
Newsday
ALL EDITIONS
The thud you could hear in broadcasting last month, even without a radio, was Howard Stern's body landing. His being so rudely thrown out on his mike by the management of WNBC/66 Radio on Oct. 1, created more controversy than the disarmament talks in Geneva, nuclear winter and the end of the world.
And now, the most famous American Howard since William Howard Taft, Howard Becah, Howard Cosell and Howard Doody is returning to the air today at 3 p.n. on WXRK (K-Rock), 92.3 on the FM dial. It's a second chance for the man Thomas Jefferson undoubtedly had in mind when he wrote in the "Declaration of Independence" that all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, except Howard Stern." It's a day that may live in the annals of free speech and all that is indecent in the American way of life.
I was not a regular listener to Howard's WNBC drive-time show, where he made such megawaves in radio for two years. No, sir, I was not one of his admirers, who were legion on Long Island's expressways.
The man was slime. He specialized in hate and filth. You never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. There was nothing clever about Howard. He was simply offensive. He specialized in insulting all religious, racial and ethnic groups, homosexuals, his audience, telephone callers, his friends and his enemies. He was especially tough on his wife. He discussed his sex life, or lack thereof, on the air. He was quite vicious.
In the higher order of animals, vegetables and minerals in the world, first comes cockroaches. Then comes Howard Stern.
If you think of Don Rickles, and amputated his brain, then you'd have Howard Stern.
The worst thing about him was that he wasn't sincere. In person, Howard Stern was not the foul-mouthed imbecile he was on the air, say those (not me) who have had the pleasure of meeting him. It was just an act, one that set him apart from the other 48,000 DJs in town. There aren't that many world class DJs in town. How many ways can you spin a record or play a video tape, or say, "Here's the latest Duran Duran."?
Now I believe in bad taste, as anybody familiar with the distasteful things I sometimes do here knows, I can go to the edge with the worst of them. For example, I thought "The National Enquirer Theatre" sketch on "Saturday Night Live" about the Kennedys killing Marily Monroe was pretty funny, in a distasteful way. Especially the part about Elvis also being involved.
All the great modern comedians were once thought of in bad taste. Monty Python, for example. Lenny Bruce. Paul Krassner in literature. And it's funny how this changes. Bad taste becomes the accepted taste. What Paul Krassner was doing at the Realist in the early 1960s become almost standard humor in the Saturday Evening Post by the late 1960s.
Don Imus is in bad taste, but he's also funny sometimes. Imus was the founder of the outrageous radio school, the big shock. "Are you naked?" Outrageous then, bold and sassy radio.
Howard carried it to an extreme. It became like puck radio. Ugly. Stern may have started out to out-outrageous Imus. But just saying shocking things is boring utlimately.
The most amazing thing of all about Stern is that he got away with it so long. The fact that he was fired was not surprising. What was fascinating was the reason. WNBC Radio gave for firing him. The WNBC/66 spokesman represented it with a straight face: "Conceptual differences." No one incident. It had been building up over a period.
What hypocrisy! This was the guy they just signed to a long-term contract reproted in excess of $200,000 a year? And they suddenly had differences about content? It meant the sharp executive running WNBC Radio had pulled another Ed Joyce (president of CBS News): First sign them; then fire them. The Phyllis (George) Principle. That way you get stuck with paying the guy's salary for a few years.
What media-ites still believe actually happened: An RCA board member was inadvertently listening to WNBC that Friday afternoon on the limo radio and actually heard Stern for the first time. That's plausible in broadcast operation.
Now that Stern is coming back, I have some advice for the Mouth That Polluted New York. The Environmental Protection Agency has no jurisdiction over the airwaves.
Try to be funnier, Howard. That's adding some redeeming social value to your act.
I know Stern does his own writing. He needs an editor to tell him what's funny, a questionable-taste editor. Somebody like Paul Krassner, the dean of bad taste in American humor. The "New Improved, Better Tasting Howard Stern" on K-Rock could be as big as he is in his own mind.
A personal footnote:
Howard Stern was a dangerous person on the air, perhaps; he was taken seriously by some listeners. But that's the great thing about free speech: You can listen or not. I won't be listening to him regulary now. I don't even think Thomas Jefferson would. Al Goldstein of "Screw" might. That's what a free country is all about: the freedom not to hear filth, garbage, hate and unfunny.
Jperdue4
JonP