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Howard Stern: More People Listen To Me Than Watch Jay Leno

PopEater

posted: 178 DAYS 6 HOURS AGO

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(Jan. 6) - Howard Stern's New Year's resolution? To stir it up.

Stern didn't waste any time on his first day back on the air in 2009, setting his sights on Jay Leno over comments Leno made in December on the radio host's relevancy.

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Leno first made comments to the New York Times on December 15 on Stern's decision to jump to satellite radio three years ago.

"I kind of watched Howard Stern," says Leno. "On radio, Howard to me was a populist. The truck driver, the average guy would listen in the cafe, the truck, the old car that’s 50 years old and still has an AM radio. Then he went to Sirius and obviously it was a lot of money. But I don’t hear him quoted anymore. People don’t say: 'Hey, did you hear what Howard said today?' And I’m sure he's still doing what he always does. But to me that seemed a mistake."

The comments reemerged as the launching point for a Dec. 28 article in the Times' business section on Sirius' struggles to turn a profit.

Stern wasn't having any of it on his first day back from vacation. "Jay seems to have a lot to think about with me," he said.

"I left terrestrial radio and I couldn't be happier. I didn't have any delusions that when I'd go on satellite radio I'd have as many listeners that I had on terrestrial radio."

He continued: "I came over to build a business. My assignment was to save Sirius radio. To bring listeners and to make things happen here. I came here to help this media merge, not to have as many listeners as I used to have. I'm in love with not having as many listeners as I used to have. I'm in love with the listeners I have, I don't get S---t every time I open my mouth by some mainstream tight a** a**hole who's going to misinterpret what I say because he happened to tune by and not even understand what I was trying to say."

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Stern then singled himself out for Sirius's turnaround. "I hit every home run I could possibly hit. When I came here, they never dreamed of a merger with XM. It happened within two years. It's the biggest success story in broadcasting history. There's not another broadcaster in this world that could have turned Sirius from 600,000 listeners to 20 million listeners inside of two years. Who could do that. There's zero point zero performers who could do that."

Friendlier Times: Howard's Infamous 1995 Appearance on 'Tonight' ... Watch What Happens When Siskel and Ebert Appear

"Do as many people hear me now? No. Do more people hear me than watch the Tonight Show? Yes. Jay Leno, with all of his horses**t has five million viewers. We on the other hand, because we are listened to by 60 percent of Sirius and XM, we probably have ... five to six million listeners. I'm not going to be an a**hole and I'm going to downplay it. So even downplaying it, we beat 'The Tonight Show.' So if Jay Leno is relevant, I'm surely as relevant as he is."

Stern has criticized Leno for years for throwing "softballs" to his guests and has accused the talk show host of ripping off bits from Stern's radio show like the popular 'Jaywalking' segment.

Stern has also pointed out that Leno went as far as hiring Stern regular John Melendez (known to Stern fans as 'Stuttering John') as his announcer in 2004.

Stern was happy that Melendez got the opportunity for a big payday, but was peeved that Leno didn't call him to ask permission to make the hire.

2009-01-06 08:48:19

Dan Steinberg, AP

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LVREInvestors

09:47 PMMar 31 2009

Howard is just excersizine his right to speek. have more time to enjoy more fights www.securemyownearnings.com

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MysteryLyricfest

11:05 AMFeb 10 2009

Jay Leno is right !!!! and what I say is Howard Stern is and always has been a scum and a horses Assssser.I'm glad he moved to sattelite because now I don't have to hear about him that often anymore, In fact this is the 1st I heard his name in well over a year and that's GREAT!!!!!!!

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AAAALTERNATIVE

06:58 PMJan 27 2009

JAY LENO IS RIGHT!!!!!! HOWARD STERN IS YESTERDAY'S NEWS WHO NOBODY BUT HIS CHERISHED FEW IDIOTS STILL CARE TO LISTEN TO! I USED TO LIKE LISTENING TO THE STERN SHOW ON REGULAR RADIO BUT HE REALYY SUCKS NOW!! DONT KNOW WHERE HE IS AND DONT GIVE A CRAP!! TAKE A HIKE DOGFACE STERN!!!!

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EricLinse

10:57 PMJan 25 2009

If Leno was so great why does his writer rip off so many of Howard Sterns bits

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Tippy 301

02:09 PMJan 21 2009

better to rule a network than be lost in space. - howard stern, queen of galactic geeks

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JWS1141

09:49 AMJan 21 2009

No question about it !! Howard Stern is a complete A__ H___ . Never put radio on to listen to this Jerk ! (Radio or TV). Not a Jay Leno fan, but take him over this guy anytime.

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Lxixwithu

01:33 PMJan 19 2009

ONE WORD DESCRIBES JAY LENO...BORING!!!

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Loudiamond00

12:40 PMJan 14 2009

All of you who trash talk Howard Stern haven't even listened to his show, you just go by the image the media has always portayed him by. In real life he is articulate, cultured, respecful of women and very personable. He is a radio PERSONALITY who puts on a show, Jay Leno is a Hack who got lucky in life and took the job that Jonny Carson had planned for David Letterman. Baba Booey to all!

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RedRoses941

07:58 PMJan 09 2009

Lots of name calling here, its like school just let out. How sad for people to stoop this low. Why take up for a man that only knows how to talk about woman like their of no value what so ever. Hes as low classed as it gets. He has no respect for him self, or others. In his dreams is he worth more than jay. At least Jay can carry a conversation that dont contain lesbians. Thats all howard knows about. howard is as low as it gets, and it is time for him to step aside. He is not relivant any more.

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Princiss

02:37 PMJan 08 2009

Oh yea.. he now has 10 weeks off a year and only works 4 days a week!! I LOVE AMERICA too!

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