Posted Sep 9th 2007 2:55PM by TMZ Staff
There's no doubt Howard Stern is the true star in his and model fiance' Beth Ostrosky's relationship. Just ask him.
Stern is quoted by Steppin Out's Chaunce Hayden saying "Beth was invited to Fashion Week only because she's dating me. She wouldn't be there if it wasn't for me!" Big Howie, how do you stay so modest? One thing Stern always gives Beth props for is the amazing sex the two have.
There have been no reports of her reciprocating that comment.
Filed under: Howard Stern
Posted Apr 12th 2007 7:25PM by TMZ Staff
Were I a less morally-scrupulous blogger, I would be tempted to break this (faux) exclusive: "Sirius-XM in Talks with Don Imus." Even though I have no knowledge of this, and even though it's probably true, such talks may be short-lived and ultimately doomed. Here's why:
* Even on satellite radio, advertisers matter. XM is filled with them, and consumer brands consider Imus rat poison. And as Business Week columnist David Kiley noted, "Imus's influence is transcending the size of his audience...[It's] about a quarter of Limbaugh's weekly following and less than half of Stern's. But blue-chip and family-oriented advertisers like Chrysler, Bigelow Tea and The New York Stock Exchange are prepared to pay top dollar to flog their brands on Imus; his show commands advertising rates of $1,333-$1,500 per thousand listeners versus about $1,000 for Limbaugh and Stern, according to industry sources." Not anymore. Strike one.
* Sirius' biggest star, Howard Stern, simply detests Imus. Viz, Stern's on-air rant against him: "If it was me and I did something stupid like that I would just go on and say, 'I'm not going on Al Sharpton's show. Al Sharpton is a piece of s**t. He's just a human being that is bankrupt, and he should pay his bills ... I would rather just leave the radio than apologize to that man...' I like Al Sharpton, by the way."
Alienating off your top talent to hire less popular, radioactive talent? Uh-uh: Strike two.
* The business model of satellite radio may be shifting from backing up dumptrucks filled with cash to more fiscally prudent deal-making. Together, XM and Sirius have nearly 14 million subscribers; combined, they expect to add another 3.5 million net new subscribers if they finally merge this year. But the losses are just as staggering: XM lost $256 million last quarter; Sirius lost $245 million. That's over half a billion dollars in red ink in one quarter. And rampant piracy of Stern's show on BitTorrent and other websites means subscriber growth will be a challenge.
Even assuming Imus could get a gig on satellite, let alone on YouTube or the web, he faces yet another major problem: Guests. Or rather, the lack of them: Politicos like Sen. Chris Dodd and Barack Obama would rather be injected with the Ebola virus than be seen with Imus now; business moguls wouldn't do satellite because he'd lack the combined reach of TV and radio. And the loss of his MSNBC simulcast means that neither serious broadcast journalists like NBC's Brian Williams nor print superstars like Newsweek editor Evan Thomas will be permitted to do an Imus show. Strike three.
Finally, there's the question of whether the public even wants to hear from this guy anymore. As Bob Herbert points out in his NYT column, Imus has a history of hateful, disgusting speech that many people are simply not willing to leave in the past. Writes Herbert, "The real question is whether this controversy is loud enough to shock Americans at long last into the realization of just how profoundly racist and sexist the culture is... It appears that on this issue the general public, and the women at Mr. Imus's former network, are far ahead of the establishment figures, the politicians and the media biggies, who were always so anxious to appear on the show and to defend Mr. Imus."
Friends, Imus may be a celeb, but even the heaviest hitters don't get four strikes. He's outta there.
Filed under: Howard Stern, City Of Industry
Posted Sep 27th 2006 12:16PM by TMZ Staff
Rosie O'Donnell has been named the "worst looking" celeb in High-Definition TV according to Phillip Swann of TVPredictions.com, a website that covers the HDTV industry.
HDTV is known for its crystal clear reception and, much to Hollywood's chagrin, its ability to pick up every line, wrinkle and crevice on a star's face.
Swann says "no one enjoys the view of Rosie in high-def" and adds that she "looks like she uses a Brillo pad" to wash her face.
Next on the least wanted list is Howard Stern. Swann thinks the shock jock has undergone the "worst abuse of a surgical scalpel since Jack the Ripper roamed the streets of London."
Teri Hatcher topped last year's roundup but falls to number three. "She's so thin that she could pass as a mother of four ... in Darfur."
Others on Swann's hit list include Britney Spears ("Mrs. Federline is just 24, but she looks 34 in HDTV"), Burt Reynolds, whose "face looks like it's been Scotch taped back in place," and Madonna, who he says has cheeks that are "more caved in than a West Virginia coal mine."
Celebs that Swann thinks do look good under the HDTV microscope include Scarlett Johansson, Beyoncé, Eva Longoria, Ben Affleck and, believe it or not, Martha Stewart.
Filed under: TV, Wacky & Weird, Beauty, Britney Spears, Howard Stern
Posted Jul 4th 2006 3:00PM by TMZ Staff
From last weekend's celebrity wedding trifecta featuring the nuptials of Nicole Kidman, Marcia Cross and Patricia Arquette, it may seem like Hollywood is in a frenzy to walk down the aisle.
But for every Elizabeth Taylor and Jennifer Lopez wedding announcement there are stars that are avoiding saying their 'I Dos' like the bird flu.
Check out which celebrities have a serious case of cold feet.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Hook-Ups, Oprah, Howard Stern, Halle Berry, Johnny Depp, Features
Posted May 18th 2006 1:55PM by TMZ Staff
Howard Stern knows an a-hole when he sees one.
When he and his cohorts got a look at TMZ's video of Brandon Davis Thursday morning hating on Lindsay Lohan, they all agreed: "He's a big, fat, tubby piece of s***."
Howard goes off on Brandon Davis
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Paparazzi Video, Howard Stern, Lindsay Lohan
Posted Feb 6th 2006 6:25PM by TMZ Staff
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Controversial U.S. radio host Howard Stern's Sirius satellite radio show made its Canadian debut Monday, with his usual raunchy fare and the claim that the Canadian government is no fan of his brand of entertainment.
Stern informed listeners it was the first day his show was airing on Sirius Canada, nearly a month after his U.S. debut.
"That whole Canadian Sirius thing is weird," he said. "Like on the one hand they want us because they know that we sell radios, but on the other hand they kinda want to keep us low-key because the Canadian government hates us."
The shock jock's on-air sidekick Robin Quivers observed that the Canadian carrier didn't want to have to field expected complaints from listeners.
Stern also put a caller on the air who said he was listening in Canada but via the gray market, meaning an unauthorized receiver picking up the U.S. signal after the customer provides a fake across-the-border address.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: The Biz, Howard Stern
Posted Dec 16th 2005 4:52PM by TMZ Staff
"Good morning, and welcome to the last show on terrestrial radio," Howard Stern began this morning on his final free broadcast. He continued with Stern-icized versions of 'What a Wonderful World,' and John Lennon's 'Imagine'.
Today's broadcast then ended with the shock jock greeting his fans at an outdoor rally and giving a speech in which he repeatedly congratulated himself and said he was "the last of a dying breed." Stern signed off from terrestrial radio at about 10 AM Eastern Standard Time with a fond look back at his years in syndicated radio. Today's farewell show featured past guests and a speech from Stern sidekick Robin Quivers. Stern also gave a long list of thank you's to the people who supported him and his show over the years.
After signing off, Stern led a parade through Manhattan. The parade was scheduled to culminate in an invitation-only Hard Rock Cafe concert featuring Sheryl Crow, which was broadcast in real time on Yahoo courtesy of Yahoo and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Although the syndicated Howard Stern Show leaves the free airwaves, the shock jock will return Jan. 9 on Sirius.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Music, Howard Stern
Posted Dec 15th 2005 4:59PM by TMZ Staff
If controversy sells, then Howard Stern is entertainment's biggest pimp. He's made a career out of controversy, and dozens of imitators have followed in the shock jock's footsteps.
Friday (Dec. 16) marks the end of an era as Stern says "Goodbye" to terrestrial radio, and "Hello" to future controversy at the less restrictive satellite radio. Stern's first show for Sirius Satellite Radio airs on Jan. 9, 2006.
The challenge facing Stern -- how will he possibly still shock when he no longer has FCC rules hanging over his head? Stern gets publicity when he gets in trouble, but what happens when there aren't any more rules to break?
Then there's the challenge of making an impact with a much smaller audience, since satellite radio has only a fraction of the listeners that terrestrial radio has.
Stern's been everywhere doing interviews lately: Letterman, '60 Minutes,' O'Reilly.
TMZ takes a look back at the top 10 most controversial moments of Stern's career so far. Our criteria? These are the moments that caused the most outrage and media attention... in other words, the most interesting.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Howard Stern
Posted Dec 10th 2005 11:41AM by TMZ Staff
The seeds of the Howard Stern satellite radio revolution are planted in a simple black spiral notebook.
Across its blank pages, the Lenny Bruce of broadcasting scrawls ideas for the riskiest (and richest) move of his radio career, a collection of deranged concepts that fly unfettered from his id, without fears of censorship or staggering federal fines.
None of it is Shakespeare. All of it is pure Stern.
How about a panel of crack-addicted hookers doing their version of "The View"? Or a boozy, dope-smoking Stern regular known as Jeff the Drunk undergoing live psychoanalysis?
"To my audience, that's the Babe Ruth of shows," Stern says excitedly about the last offering. "I'm hitting home runs left and right now! I couldn't do that on terrestrial radio!"
Starting next month, Stern won't do anything on terrestrial radio.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Howard Stern
