Howard took it too far and was unmindful of his outrageous behavior. Not only was he greatly affected, but he was also issued a warrant of arrest for his unruly attitude. Between 1990 and 2004, the stations that aired The Howard Stern Show were fined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to an astounding total of $2.5 million.
With these incidents, Stern became the most fined radio host in America. An infamous honor indeed; courtesy, of course, of his indecent behavior. Stern didn’t feel that the problem was his, though. He blamed the administration of President George W. Bush for increasing the FCC’s scope to fine in 2004. Nevertheless, the penalties were necessary.
A New Path
Following his suspension from Clear Channel Radio in 2004, Stern made an announcement that he would be moving to Sirius Satellite Radio for a five-year contract worth $500 million.
Sirius is a subscription-based satellite radio service and is, therefore, not subject to the FCC’s broadcast regulations. This means that Howard is not restricted from saying whatever he wants on air as penalties and other consequences won’t be an issue. Given his personality, the move clearly benefited him. And, given his popularity, it also suited the satellite radio station just fine. However, he still managed to make waves with the management regarding his payment.
A Quarrel with Quintanilla
One of the most controversial situations that Howard created for himself happened in 1995. After the death of Tejano superstar, Selena Quintanilla, Howard ridiculed her and her music. “Spanish people have the worst taste in music. … This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul,” he said.
His racist statements angered Selena’s fans and prompted Hispanic leaders in Texas to boycott all radio stations that aired the filterless Stern. Prior to the issuance of a warrant for his arrest, Stern apologized for his hurtful remarks. His apology came too late to make up for a reckless action that insulted the death of a famous artist and her music.
Confessing
In the 1970s, Stern’s curiosity regarding illegal substances led him to engage with Quaaludes and LSD. In an interview with the popular rock band, Aerosmith, he willingly discussed his use of illegal drugs. "I hadn't done any drugs in a really long time and then I started smoking some weed," he revealed.
"Well I'll tell ya, what happened with me is, uh, you know, I figured, well it's been like 20 years since I smoked weed and weed was not very powerful back then,” he added. What made him stop using these illegal substances was a nightmare trip he had while high on LSD.
Sudden Success
July 1990 marked the beginning of Howard Stern’s era. It was during this time that he was hired as the host of his own program, The Howard Stern Show, on WWOR-TV. The Saturday night variety television show was aired to 65 markets in the U.S. and even frequently beat Saturday Night Live in the ratings.
His global fame earned him the title “King of All Media.” However, after two years and 69 episodes, the show ended due to mounting fines for indecent material. Stern did not let this pass and rallied against the FCC by releasing a compilation of his vulgar radio segments.