This week, some of our posts have touched on the political climate, examining some of the lessons we can learn from the election about media, entertainment, radio, our culture, and ourselves. These posts are not meant to take sides, instigate a firestorm in our “comments” section, or agitate our readers. In the same way educators and historians will analyze discuss this election for years to come, we see some important lessons in the political discourse, and hope you read these posts in the spirit in which they were intended. If you choose to comment – and we hope you do – please be sure to keep your observations “above the fray” or they will be deleted. – FJ
Whenever I hear people say that no one listens to radio anymore or that the medium is on its last legs, it makes me wonder just how out of touch they really are. This political election is testament to the power of radio to shape minds, influence thinking, and make news headlines at a time as all eyes are now turned to this historic race as we enter the final stretch.
None of this has anything to do with whether the candidates – nationally, regionally, or locally – are spending money on radio or not. The fact is, radio is highly influential, largely because of its out-sized personalities and its ability to give ordinary people a voice. In 2016, it is the stars of radio that are making more headlines and breaking more news than their counterparts on the TV side.
In last week’s Presidential debate, conservative talker Sean Hannity and former terrestrial broadcast king Howard Stern were both mentioned during the evening. In each case, the issue was over the hotly contested issue of Donald Trump’s support – or lack thereof – of the Iraq War.
While he was not brought up by name during this debate, Rush Limbaugh has no doubt had a tremendous amount of yank over the thought processes of millions of American voters, while in Wisconsin, WTMJ talker Charlie Sykes made his presence known earlier this year. (Sykes announced yesterday his plans to step down at the end of the year.)
And yet while Hannity and Limbaugh are most closely associated with conservative politics, I don’t think there’s any question the radio personality that’s truly yielded the most power and impact this year is Stern.
While we know exactly where most talk radio hosts stand on virtually every issue – especially the Clinton and Trump campaigns – Howard’s influence is infinitely more powerful because his guests are never too sure about precisely where he’s going, what he’s thinking, or the questions he’ll be asking.
As mainstream media pundits now observe, Stern has developed into a top-notch interviewer. That begs the question of what they were listening to back in the ’90s because Howard was every bit as revealing, provocative, and challenging back then. Stern may have had terrestrial radio limitations back in those days, but his interviews always sounded like real conversations rather than the perfunctory question and answer sessions you hear on so many stations.
As an interviewer, he’s right there with “Fresh Air’s” Terry Gross, but perhaps in a different league because he seems to regularly bring out surprising admissions from his guests. Those who have sat opposite Stern will tell you that while they thought they knew what was coming, those assumptions often turned out to be incorrect. And many Stern guests end up uttered things they never dreamed they’d be saying when they first walked into his studio.
The now-famous, much debated interview with Trump back in 2002 has it all. It starts out as discussion of the health of New York City post-9/11, and then this:
Last week – 14 years later – Stern talked about that interview and what it was like being at the center of the debate controversy:
“I was up late watching the debate. I hung in until about 10:30 almost, heard my name mentioned, and I went to sleep. It was kinda thrilling. Yeah, oh yeah. Well, it always comes up because, you know, Trump was on our show years ago and said yeah, you know, he was kind of for the Iraq war, us going into Iraq. He was saying he really wasn’t for it, and so they were forced to mention my name. Yeah. It was cool. Good promotion.”
And it won’t stop there because news organizations continue to cull through Stern’s archives, discovering other candid quotes Trump has made while a guest on the show. As Stern listeners (and viewers) have learned over the years, people will say things to Howard they won’t say to anyone else. Its fascinating that we’re really not hearing about what Limbaugh, Hannity, or even O’Reilly are saying or quipping about these last few months. But everyone continues to talk about what was said on The Howard Stern Show – today or decades ago.
Sadly, Howard was chased off the AM/FM band to satellite radio by an overzealous FCC, and perhaps also by a terrestrial radio industry that never truly recognized his impact or his accomplishments. You won’t find a Marconi in Stern’s trophy case, nor was he ever named one of “Radio’s 40 Most Powerful.” But in fact, his imprint on broadcast radio lives on a decade beyond his last appearance on the terrestrial airwaves.
So Stern is back in the news because of Donald Trump’s many appearances on his show over the years – one New York celebrity schmoozing with another. But you might be wondering about what was said during Hillary Clinton’s appearances on Stern’s Sirius show or even back in the day on WXRK/New York. But you won’t find a single one because she has never consented to be a guest on his show. A recent interview with Stern in the Washington Post by Geoff Edgers revealed how Stern would approach this opportunity if it came his way:
“I don’t think I’d handle Hillary Clinton any differently than I would a musician. I had a three hour conversation with Billy Joel and we really talked about his music writing process, how this happened, how it evolved, and his relationship with his parents, his marriages, the love of the piano and the songwriting process and also the torture of it.”
And then:
“The dinner conversation I would have privately with Hillary Clinton is the conversation I’d like to put on the radio.”
As we’re seeing very clearly as we near November 8, Howard Stern is, in fact, the King of All Media.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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