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Howard Stern Moving to Sirius Radio in 2006POSTED October 10, 2004 Howard Stern, who lays claim to the title "King of All Media," is moving his syndicated radio show to Sirius satellite radio on January 1, 2006. It's a risky move into the relatively new world of satellite radio. Stern's tens of millions of fans will have to start paying $12.95 per month and purchase Sirius compatible receivers in order to listen to his raunchy morning talk show. For Stern, the deal will mean big bucks as the money-losing Sirius will pay $100 million per year for five years to produce his show and pay Stern's salary. Sirius, based in New York's Rockefeller Center, is the No. 2 player in satellite broadcasting with only 600,000 subscribers compared to market leader XM Radio, which reports 2.5 million subscribers. Sirius says it needs to sell one million subscriptions to pay for Stern's broadcasts and it might do it with his large male audience. Stern is the No. 1 national radio host among males 18-49 years of age and ranks No. 1 in many of the 46 major markets where his show is broadcast, including New York and Los Angeles. "It has been my dream to have the top-rated show in radio since I was five years old," said Stern. "SIRIUS - the future of radio will take this dream to a whole new level as I bring my fans my show my way. It will be the best radio they will ever hear." Known for his extremely loyal fan base and for his unequalled ability to migrate fans to other media, Stern has embarked on numerous highly successful ventures over the years while maintaining dominant ratings in his demographic. Stern has written two best-selling books - Private Parts, which was Simon & Schuster's fastest selling book ever, and Miss America, the fastest selling book in publishing history. He later starred in the highly successful motion picture adaptation of Private Parts, orchestrated the fastest-selling soundtrack in motion picture history and starred in the most watched entertainment pay-per-view special of all time. "The Howard Stern Show" is the E! television network's most successful show. "Signing Howard Stern is, without a doubt, the most exciting
and transformational event in the history of radio," said
Joseph Clayton, CEO of SIRIUS. "He is an entertainment force
of unprecedented recognition and popularity in the broadcast
world, who is capable of changing the face of satellite radio
and generating huge numbers of subscribers for SIRIUS." |
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