Thanks to the FCC, I just heard Clear Channel broadcasting has pulled Howard Stern off all of their stations indefinitely. They own about 1,200 stations in the United States. The Stern show was carried in six markets, including Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida; Rochester, New York; Louisville, Kentucky; San Diego; and Pittsburgh.

I also understand Bubba The Love Sponge was fired within the last week or so. Although I didn't receive his broadcast, I understand his show was similar to Sterns.



Is it just me or have we just stepped back 25 years within the realm of free speech? What's next???

we lost the stern show a few years ago. that was some funny ****. i liked jackie the best. i can't count how many times i had chest pains from laughing so hard some of the best shows, howard spanking that chick with a fish and jackie took it home and ate it or when they put mayo on that chicks ass and was tossing ham and cheese at her ass stuttering john and all the whacked out stuff he did, gary's teeth, i could go on and on. it all goes back to- if you don't like it , change the station.

The Howard Stern thing is just a symptom of the disease that is infecting this country. I'm not some extremist but look around people. Our personal freedoms are being eroded daily. I do listen to Stern, however there are times when the content was not to my liking, so I've done what we all can do and turned it off.
Have you tried to cash a check lately??? even at your own bank, they are tracking every dollar, how about your new GPS enabled cell phone,or your Onstar, those are features designed to help you, sure they are, but as an added advantage you can be electronically followed everywhere hmmm. Try to smoke a cigarette without some one freaking out. How about congressmen banging interns and presidents getting blow jobs in the oval office...that's OK but don't say the word t#t on the air........whats next ??????

The very people we elect have taken it upon themselves to decide how we are to behave in all aspects of our lives....butt the f.....out. Orwell was right only 20 years off!! All pigs are created equal only some are more equal than others........

Ok, sorry about the rant

Stern was #1 in boston the past few years. Just recently, the morning show from WEEI, an AM sports radio station passed him for the #1 morning show in Boston. That should tell ya something right there.

It's a damned shame, that due to the pure ineptitude of far too many acrosed this great land, that the governeent was forced(Ya, right) to step in and take away another one of my rights.

I can no longer listen to my programming of choice, the Number 1 rated program by the way, because of the pathetic laziness and weakness of those who cannot or will not monitor what their children listen to.

It's even sadder that this whole mess had to transpire under the false guise of "It's for the children..." I have to call BS again. This is the result of our professional liars(politicians) crumbling from special interest pressure and the whining of some oversensitive, weak people.

Bottom Line: No more Bubba or Stern. Thanks!

Actually, the FCC didn't do anything. Clear Channel managment decided that the risks of keeping Stern on the air, including possible fines or sanctions by the FCC, loss of advertiser revenue, and resultant loss in share value, were higher than the upside of broadcasting Stern's show.

Since Clear Channel is a publicly held company, the management has a legal and fidicuary (sp?) duty to its owners, ie stockholders, to increase the worth of the company. In this case that decision was to pull Stern's show off the air. If you disagrees with the decision of Clear Channel's management, I encourage you to purchase their stock and becoming an active shareholder. Then you can exersice your rights as an owner and vote to remove the current board of directors and replace them with persons that would be amenable to your viewpoint. Simple really.

As for the whole "freedom of speech" tirade, perhaps those of you that make this argument - time and again - should read the 1st Amendment to the Constitution:

Note the phrase "Congress shall make no law..." - now I may have missed it, but the news stories I read didn't say anything about Congress passing a law banning Stern, or Spongebob Squarepants or whatever the other clown's name was. Clear Channel, the folks that spent millions of dollars to buy and run the radio stations, and who pay Stern's salary, decided that the risks outweigh the benefits. Period. This does not prevent Stern's "speech" rights; he can go stand on the street corner and say whatever the hell he wants, all day long - same as anyone else. I don't see a "right to broadcast over a hundred radio stations and be paid millions to boot" listed in the Constitution, and I've read it several times. If there is such a right, I want to know where I can get my radio stations!

Sorry if I come off a little cranky - haven't had my coffee yet today. And this is not directed toward anyone specifically, more of a general rant - half of what's wrong in this country is that people don't read or understand what the Constitution says or how our goverment is supposed to run. Don't get me started on the Tenth Amendment....

This is crap. I would like to boycott Clear Channel, but they own every station in Toledo! I find that very disturbing. WAKE UP PEOPLE! Stand up for your rights and freedoms before they are gone forever!

I think the $775,000 fine Clear Channel got for some of Bubba's antics got the attention of the broadcasting companies.

Actually, it is the FCC behind this. If it weren't for the fines levied last month, both of those guys would still have jobs and I would still be listening to what I want to listen to.

I don't think Clearchannel would axe their number 1 rated jocks for no reason.

Fvck the FCC!
Fvck Clearchannel!

I thought Rush Limbaugh was the number 1 most listened to radio program.

Roby