STERN ENDS A.M. FM GIG.Byline: Fred Shuster Staff Writer Howard Stern, who made a fortune pushing the boundaries of good taste, turned uncharacteristically sentimental Friday as he signed off his top-rated morning talk show for the last time before moving to satellite radio. The pioneering morning entertainer capped his final terrestrial radio program - heard locally on KLSX-FM (97.1) for the past 14 years - unshockingly with a rambling list of thank-yous to those who'd helped him rise to the top during a quarter-century behind the microphone. But mostly, he repeated a familiar refrain. ``We are the last of a dying breed,'' he said again and again of his audience of about 12 million, who listened to the New York-based chat show on 45 stations across the country. ``You stuck by me every step of the way.'' It remains to be seen how many of Stern's fans will take the crucial next step and shell out $12.95 a month to hear the mouth that roared, unrestrained by censorship, on Sirius Satellite Radio
Stern has spun the jump to satellite, for which he's getting a five-year, $500 million contract (to create two channels for Sirius and pay salaries, overhead and other programming costs), as a righteous battle for free speech. But typically, he promises only dirtier talk and dirtier words. ``Let the freedom bell be rung by a stripper,'' he said in a portion of his Friday broadcast, which took place outdoors in midtown Manhattan before a teeming teem 1 v. teemed, teem·ing, teems v.intr. 1. To be full of things; abound or swarm: A drop of water teems with microorganisms. 2. crowd of thousands. It was also beamed live on Yahoo's Internet site. ``The government said, 'Clean up your act.' We said, 'Never.''' The event was billed as a farewell party, but it was actually a gigantic, well-hyped publicity stunt for Stern's Sirius gig, although he wasn't allowed to say the name of the company, since it competes with terrestrial outlets. At KLSX, which has rebranded itself ``Free FM,'' a dig at Stern's new pay-to-play home, TV comic Adam Carolla will take over the morning roost starting Jan. 3. Stern, 51, will debut on Sirius on Jan. 9. Sirius is expecting an increase of 800,000 new subscribers because of Stern. ``I'm free to broadcast the way I want,'' Stern crowed. ``Change the rules, break the chains. The ride is just beginning.'' In the last ratings period, Stern was the top-rated English-language morning host among Los Angeles listeners in the 25-to-54 age group. ``I've always liked Howard for what he represents,'' said Catholic school teacher Sherry Lynn Kupahu, a Sherman Oaks listener whose father also tuned the dial to KLSX for Stern. ``He's honest, he doesn't pull any punches and he's the real deal. ``This country is about freedom of speech - and if you don't want to listen, turn the dial to another station - which is what Howard has said for years.'' Kupahu and others said they planned to follow Stern to Sirius. The entertainer's last earthbound earth·bound also earth-bound adj. 1. Fastened in or to the soil: earthbound roots. 2. a. stand opened with the mournful sound of taps being played as the host intoned in·tone v. in·toned, in·ton·ing, in·tones v.tr. 1. To recite in a singing tone. 2. To utter in a monotone. v.intr. 1. , ``Welcome to the last show on terrestrial radio.'' The program ended 4 1/2 hours later with a lewd remake of ``What a Wonderful World,'' followed by John Lennon's ``Imagine.'' Among Friday's listeners was Dena Feingold, 35, of Agoura Hills, a health writer who has been a daily listener to Stern for more than 10 years. She already has Sirius, which recently unveiled one of two Stern- centric channels. ``It was bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. ,'' Feingold said soon after Stern signed off. ``But I'm looking forward to hearing Howard on satellite because the freedom will challenge him to come up with even more outrageous content. I can't wait.'' Feingold admitted that some of Stern's more raunchy raun·chy adj. raun·chi·er, raun·chi·est Slang 1. a. Obscene, lewd, or vulgar: "[He] subject matter has forced her to turn the dial occasionally over the years. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. where the line is drawn,'' she said. ``But it can get a little nauseating, especially during breakfast.'' Officials at KLSX did not return a call for comment. A tireless self-promoter, Stern made inroads inroads Noun, pl make inroads into to start affecting or reducing: my gambling has made great inroads into my savings inroads npl to make inroads into [+ in Hollywood with his 1997 biographical comedy ``Private Parts''; in publishing with two best-selling books; and on TV with several series and pay-per-view events. During 25 years on the air, he became the focus of indecency INDECENCY. An act against good behaviour and a just delicacy. 2 Serg. & R. 91. 2. The law, in general, will repress indecency as being contrary to good morals, but, when the public good requires it, the mere indecency of disclosures does not suffice to exclude complaints to the FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. in massively publicized cases that bolstered the talk host's profile. The company that owned Stern's show, Infinity Broadcasting (recently renamed CBS Radio), paid $1.7 million in 1995 to settle complaints against the jock. In 2004, Clear Channel Communications Not to be confused with clear channel radio stations, which are AM radio stations with certain technical parameters. Clear Channel Communications (NYSE: CCU) is a media conglomerate company based in the United States. Inc. dumped Stern from six stations. ```F' the FCC,'' Stern railed on air. ``The religious right is the American Taliban.'' These days, however, once off-limits topics such as porn saturate sat·u·rate v. Abbr. sat. 1. To imbue or impregnate thoroughly. 2. To soak, fill, or load to capacity. 3. To cause a substance to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance. mainstream media and Stern imitators hold forth on many stations. ``I've changed the entire industry,'' Stern said in his usual humble fashion. Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Howard Stern and Martha Stewart celebrate Stern's move to Sirius Satellite radio Friday at New York's Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of casual dining restaurants. It was founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, and their first Hard Rock Cafe opened near Hyde Park Corner in London, in a former Rolls Royce car dealerships showroom close to Hyde Park, where in 1979 they began to . Diane Bondareff/Hard Rock Cafe |
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