This is ridiculous!!!

[dissention]

Howard Stern gets booted in 6 cities

Thu Feb 26, 7:41 AM ET Add Local - New York Daily News to My Yahoo!

By RICHARD HUFF and DAVE GOLDINER, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Shock jock Howard Stern's show was yanked from several radio stations yesterday after a caller made racially charged comments - marking the latest skirmish over America's R-rated airwaves.


The nation's top-rated morning show was suspended from six big stations owned by Clear Channel Communications after a caller to the show used the Nword and asked Paris Hilton's ex-boyfriend if he ever had sex with black celebrities.


But Stern's syndicated show will apparently still be heard in New York as usual on WXRK-FM, where it draws nearly 1 million listeners, and on about 60 other stations nationwide.


"It was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African-Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency," Clear Channel chief John Hogan said.


"We will not air Howard Stern until we are assured that his show will conform to acceptable standards of responsible broadcasting," he added.


The latest Stern-storm blew up over his on-air interview with Rick Salomon, the man who was filmed having sex with Hilton.


Stern asked Salomon some extremely personal questions before the caller made the slur.


Neither Stern nor the producers of his New York-based show could be reached for comment.


The scandal erupted as the nation's media titans scramble to clean up their act following the Janet Jackson breast-flashing fiasco during last month's Super Bowl halftime show.


Hogan is scheduled to defend radio's less-than-sensitive record at a congressional hearing today on a proposed law totighten decency standards and jack up fines.


Critics accused Clear Channel of lashing out at Stern to burnish its image ahead of the hearing.


The giant has about 1,200 stations in the United States, though only the six involved in yesterday's announcement carried the Stern show. Those stations are heard in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Rochester, San Diego, Pittsburgh and Louisville, Ky.


Stern, who revels in raunchy banter with callers and guests, has been in hot water with federal regulators before, but has mostly toed the line in recent years.


Infinity Broadcasting, the company that syndicates the show, paid $1.7 million to settle complaints over his antics in the 1990s.


Infinity is owned by Viacom, the media giant that owns CBS, which aired Jackson's Super Bowl flash dance.


Viacom boss Mel Karmazin said the network was stunned by Jackson's stunt and vowed to crack down on raunch on the air.


Stern, the self-proclaimed King of All Media, also has a show on the E! cable network. With News Wire Services

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Sorry, but Howard hasn't been saying any **** that he and Robin haven't been saying since they first teamed up. This is pathetic. And the head of Clear Channel said he's "ashamed" of their programming. Pfft.