In a land of infantile mindless consumers, it doesn't get any better than fart jokes beamed down from satellites. If you need proof that we're doomed, examine the "shock jock" phenomenon. All the culture, music, news (albeit corporate-state propaganda) available, and it's Howard Stern who makes or breaks Srirus.

Internet radio will kill satellite radio.

Can you get internet radio in the car? :-)

He probably has to send half his salary to his ex-wife. But still, he's very rich and a pay cut wouldn't have hurt him financially. It's just his pride and huge ego that won't allow him to take a pay cut.

And just for the record I've been listening to Howard since he first came to NY, way back in the early 80's. Many a time I almost drove off the road because I was laughing so hard at what he was saying.

MIKE: Satellite radio IS INTERNET RADIO.

I would have left.

It's fairly clear Sirius would have been on the ropes if not for Stern.

20,000,000 subscribers is how much a month 1.5 to 2.0 billion dollars?

PER MONTH WOW.

Stern did hint he was being paid. 2.6 billion for 5 years.

I don't care for Howard because so much of is show is about sex. It gets old after a while. That's not to say that I don't like him. I think he's very intelligent and articulate. He can be funny-even hilarious at times. He's very smart and he doesn't mince words. But I just get tired of the same stupid stuff all the time. I've listed to his show in the past and when he's talking about something topical, he's great. I have XM but I don't pay for Howard's show. I could be persuaded to change my mind if I knew that his shows were less about sex and more about just about everything else.

Hey, Octopus: You don't have to listen every second. If a segment comes on you don't like, switch to something else. Switch back to see what's next. Most Howard listeners stick with it through the stuff they don't like because at any minute Howard can go to a place that is maybe poignant, political, ranting, Jackie-bashing, BaBa Booeeing, etc., but always funny and thoughtful.

Personally, the one area I think Stern should steer clear of is politics. That's just me.

Rock on, Howard!

Hmmm...you do have a point there....

So Howard Stern is really not going to make anymore money that he makes right now - cause he will have to pay the Federal Government More Taxes!!!!! How soon do you think he will pay this?????

Can you get internet radio in the car? :-)

I sure can. My phone bluetooths it directly to my car and all for free.

MIKE: Satellite radio IS INTERNET RADIO

Accept you don't pay for internet radio.

Ole Dirtbag remains in outer space! Good place for him!

Howard Stern is a pig, but after learning a little bit more of his background, he's not as bad as I thought. He does have good qualities, but you won't see them as long as he continues to be a shock-ass.

It is really not about Stern.

It is more about the people who use his platform to do the things many are flipped out about.

YOU SHOULD BE MORE OFFENDED BY THE PEOPLE WHO GO ON HIS SHOW MORE THAN STERN.

WITHOUT THE NUTCASES TO DO THE THINGS PEOPLE ARE OFFENDED BY THERE WOULD BE ..................NO SHOW..................................

Well aren't you the clever one!

Oh My!

Me too. He's the only reason I subscribed, and I was all set to let my subscription expire. I really miss Artie though.

Same here. I have a lifetime subscription to Sirius because of Stern. Glad he's staying! I think Seth is glad too!

20,000,000 subscribers is how much a month 1.5 to 2.0 billion dollars?

PER MONTH WOW.

Stern did hint he was being paid. 2.6 billion for 5 years.

Me too! But I must say, he drew MUCH MORE than 1.2 million subscribers!

You thought wrong.

Sirius is on the way out. It has lost money since day o ne. Those 20 million subscribers come mainly from free subscriptions with new cars. After they run out, many let them drop. Stern's act is old.

Yeah, I'm surprised there's enough people listening to him to justify $100M/yr. I guess its $5/yr per subscriber though which isn't too bad. Well that plus the rest of the costs (overhead, salaries, rent, etc.) of the show which is probably another $5/yr per subscriber. I mean I listened to him every once in a while when he was on terrestrial radio but I can't see paying for his show. And really if Sirius is still losing money even with him then he's probably not worth the money though their biggest problem might be debt load and not the cost of programming.

SiriusXM has 20 million subscribers. The cheapest package for your car is about 14 bucks a month. That's 280 million dollars a month. And that's if every one of those people has the cheap package. They don't. A lot of them subscribe to Howard's show, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, NASCAR-all of which cost more money. SiriusXM is easily pulling in 300 million a month.

Look, Sirius is a smart company led by a highly respected manager, Mel Karmazin. They would not have done the last deal or this deal if they didn't think it was in the long term best interests of their shareholders.

If the folks on this blog who question the deal have any particular expertise in this area, I'm sure Sirius would be interested in talking to them about financial advice. [Sarcasm]

Well their stock sells at less than a dollar a share. Hardly a ringing endorcement for a company that once sold for much more.

Stern is a douchebag.

Mike, their stock has doubled over the past 6-8 months, it's well over a dollar now. AND the stock jumped 7% on the news of Howard returning, so get a clue.

They are actually quite profitable at this point, granted, they're still in the red, but they are making money.

You sure are hating on this whole article, you sure you're not really Pig Virus?

I'm sorry, I could have sworn I checked it Tuesday and it was at 95cents. My bad, it's at a whooping $1.37.

Clue found.

Stern's ongoing popularity is further evidence of the declining intelligence of the American population.

Amen...

I originally got Sirius back in 11/05 because of Howard's impending move there.

My wife and I have 3 Sirius subscription (one for each car and one for the house), although my wife hates Howard but likes the commercial free music channels.

I have listened to Howard since 8/94. I enjoy the show for the most part but hope that he lightens up on the sex part of it and has less strippers and other assorted bimbos as guests on the show. They are dumb and vapid and have very little to say.

I like Howard because he is funny and cuts through all the BS. He tells it like it is and points out all of the hypocrisy that exists in the world -- that is very refreshing.

Howard Stern rules! Ba-Ba-Booey!

Give it another listen sometime, Hockey. You might be surprised how mature some areas of the show have become as everyone has moved through life, kids have grown, etc. There's a lot there for everyone.

Wrong, wrong, and wrong!

Influence? OMG, Howard Stern fans are notorious for galvanizing into action, like a small army. One word from Howard and it's done. He's had a major influence in politics, the entertainment industry, and many other areas.

I wish he would use his powers for more good than silly pranks or feuds, but there is no denying his opinion matters. It's like Oprah's book club. Once she endorses a book, it's an instant best seller. And once Howard gives something or someone the thumbs up or down, you can bet there is going to be a huge impact.

@l/eye-I'm not really a Howard fan but I totally agree with your assessment.

SelfTaught: You're obviously not in on the joke. Taking ANYTHING too seriously takes the fun out of it. Hey, Howard ain't everyone's cup of tea. But, at bottom, Howard is an entertainer, a character. Howard "practices" sometimes outrageous or provocative behavior to get attention and ratings. That's not who he is, personally, which is where some people go way off the mark. Actors on episodic TV play raunchy characters, but we don't attribute that behavior to them in real life (other than Charlie Sheen, perhaps, but that's based on what he DOES outside of his TV show in real life). See?

Granted, sometimes Howard's show can be raunchy and even tedious, but over almost 30 years its never really been dull. That's why, almost 30 years on, a major media company--Sirius--is stepping up to resign Howard to another huge deal. Because he holds a huge audience every day.

And that's the bottom line in the country.

OMG, Howard Stern fans are notorious for galvanizing into action, like a small army

That's kind of pathetic.

Howard rules and you know it Self which is what makes you so jealous! ha ha ha

You're missing out. I don't listen to commercial radio and never will. I love my satellite radio.

"Jumped the shark"? I don't hear that expression too much.

If true, how has Howard managed to stay relevant and wildly popular for almost 30 years, TRF? You know something 10 Million people every day don't know?

Jon Hein invented the term "jump the shark" and created then sold the accompanying website. He works for the Howard Stern show now. Just sayin'.

TRF you are a loser...

That's what people used to say about TV. Now almost everyone pays for it. It's inevitable you will eat your words, unless you die soon. Blondie

You obviously do not listen to the show. The show has always continued to evolve and still does.

Sirius went from a failing company of 600k subscribers to 20 million subscribers since Howard signed. The 1.2 million estimate in the article is a joke. Estimates are that about 60% of subscribers listen to Howard. That's a lot of people and a lot of revenue.

NYCGUY: Care to explain your "math"? Too busy calling others "morons"?

nresq- the article said Stern brought 1.2 million new listeners to Sirius and Sirius paid Stern $500 million dollars on his contract......I realize that as a Stern fan you have limited gray matter....but ask your mom how to do your goesintas.

thankfully nobody forces you to listen...interesting that you hate so much yet take the time to read and post.

bet your husband is a fan

baba booooooey to you!

Funny your husband said the samething about you.

Hey Kathy: You would be surprised how big Howard's female audience is. Maybe if you listen to Howard as entertainment, and not with some sort of expectation of what you think he SHOULD BE, you might get the joke. Some segments might not be your cup of tea, so switch to something else at that point. Be sure to come back because you might miss something that really moves you and makes you think.

By the way, you ARE a Sirius subscriber, aren't you? Or are you just basing you opinion of what other's tell you? A little too much of that going on in this country right now.

My WIFE and I listen daily and have been fans for over 20 years. I credit the show with helping keep us close. We laugh every evening and discuss what happened on the show. She is as big of a fan as I am.