So Long, Howard, Thanks for the Mammaries?
Stern mulls his retirement on air
By MICHAEL CLANCY
Updated 9:37 AM CST, Thu, Dec 18, 2008
Is Howard Stern ready to take his fart jokes back down to earth?
The foul-mouthed comic genius who revolutionized terrestrial radio and helped the nascent satellite format take hold is considering leaving it all behind.
"This is my swan song," Stern told a caller on his Sirius radio show last week, sparking all sorts of speculation that the self-proclaimed King of All Media might be leaving the show that made him famous in the first place.
It could just be more kvetching from the notorious whiner, but Stern's departure has serious implications for the fragile satellite industry which lured the so-called shock jock away from terrestrial radio with a contract believed to be worth half a billion dollars.
His retirement would not be until 2010, but when Stern said he was "done" on-air that was enough for folks in terrestrial radio to call up his sidekick Robin Quivers to see if she was available for a new gig.
The newly married Stern isn't shy about telling his listeners that the early morning grind is getting to him. Quivers, perhaps the person who knows Howard best, said she thinks in 2010 it won't be that easy to lure Stern back to satellite or anywhere.
Stern, who cut his work week down from five to four days when he made the leap to satellite, floated the idea of even shorter schedule or perhaps an afternoon program.
"If I could work out a deal with Sirius where I work on my own terms, I'd think about it," Stern told producer Gary Dell'Abate, according to obitcast.com.
First Published: Dec 18, 2008 7:27 AM CST
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