Howard Stern American Radio Host

Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio host and media personality. He is currently the host of The Howard Stern Show, an uncensored talk radio show that airs on Howard 100 on SIRIUS XM Radio, a subscription satellite radio service. Stern has described himself as the "King of All Media" following his success not only in radio but in television, film and print throughout his career. As well as hosting his radio show, Stern has released two books, Private Parts in 1993, and Miss America in 1995. Both books received huge media attention and sales. Private Parts would later be adapted into a 1997 film in which Stern and his radio show colleagues starred as themselves.

Stern has been described by the media as a "shock jock" for his controversial style of his radio and television shows. Stern himself has said that it was never his intention to "shock" people, but to offer his honest opinions on issues, ranging from world affairs to the staff he works with. Though controversial, Stern is the highest-paid radio personality in the United States,as well as the most fined in radio history.

Stern's television endeavors include a variety show on New York City's WWOR-TV from 1990-1993, an adaptation of his radio show fit into a half-hour program each weekday on E! from 1994-2005, a similar program on CBS from 1998-2001 that competed with Saturday Night Live for a short time, "Howard TV" for digital cable subscribers across the country, and Son of the Beach, a parody of Baywatch which featured Stern as executive producer, broadcast on FX Networks.

In 2006, Stern was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine"and was ranked as the world's 7th most powerful celebrity by Forbes. Stern's first marriage to Alison Berns ended in divorce in 2001.He married Beth Ostrosky on October 3, 2008.

Personal life

Childhood
Stern was born into a Jewish American family in the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights, New York, though his family soon moved to the Long Island town of Roosevelt.His father, Ben Stern, owned a Manhattan recording studio.Stern's father encouraged his son's interest in radio from an early age.His mother, Rae, was a homemaker for most of Howard's childhood.Stern has one sibling, a sister named Ellen, who is four years his senior.Stern describes his sister as being his "complete opposite;" she is rarely mentioned on the show, though he maintains that they have a good relationship as their personalities perfectly complement each other.

Although both his parents are Jewish, Stern's on-air banter is that he is only "half Jewish", with the other half being Italian, because "it's very hard to be Jewish in this country. My half Jewish side has been beaten with chains."Stern's Hebrew name is Tzvi (pronounced [tsvi]); his paternal grandparents, Froim and Anna (Gallar) Stern and maternal grandparents, Sol and Esther (Reich) Schiffman, were Austro-Hungarian Jews who immigrated to America at about the same time.

Stern often said that his parents verbally abused him as a child, which was corroborated during a 1990 broadcast when he played old family recordings, many of which have become oft-played soundbites, including remarks such as "I told you not to be stupid, you moron" and "Shut up! Sit down!" being screamed at a 7-year-old Howard.These old recordings were later used in a parody commercial for the "The Ben Stern Day-Care Center", which specialized in producing overachieving, self-hating megalomaniacs. Stern said his mother ran her house with "the intensity of Hitler" and that his father's "favorite sport was yelling."




Stern has long claimed on his show that he has a small penis. This assertion is used to comedic effect in a scene in his biopic where he is shown showering with his African-American peers at Roosevelt Junior High School. He has long asserted that he was one of the few white students in a predominantly African-American school. When Stern's family moved in 1969 to Rockville Centre, he transferred to South Side High School, from which he graduated in 1972. Stern attended Boston University, graduating in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in communications, carrying a 3.8 Grade Point Average. During his time at Boston University, Stern also worked (before being fired) as a volunteer at the campus radio station WTBU. Stern now funds a scholarship at Boston University.

Adult life

Stern grew to be tall, standing 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m).

During his college years, Stern became a student of Transcendental Meditation which he practices to this day. He credits the practice with aiding him in quitting smoking and achieving his goals in radio. In the 1980s Stern conducted an in-person interview with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation. Stern's mother also took the Transcendental Meditation course and Stern claims it cured her of depression.

On June 4, 1978, Stern married college sweetheart Alison Berns at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Massachusetts. They have three daughters: Emily Beth (b. 1983), Deborah Jennifer (b. 1986) and Ashley Jade (b. 1993).A hallmark of Stern's humor was his claiming to be tempted by the strippers, porn stars and lesbians appearing on his show, but always insisted that he had to be faithful to his wife. In 1994, Stern ran for Governor of New York as a Libertarian.The campaign was generally seen as a publicity stunt and Stern dropped out before the election after refusing to disclose his finances, a requirement by the State of New York. In October 1999, Stern announced that he and wife Alison decided to separate. They amicably divorced in 2001, ending in a settlement.

Stern began a period of single living on New York City's Upper West Side, dating dozens of women including Angie Everhart and Robin Givens. Despite reportedly spending time with Carmen Electra "five times", the two have denied there was anything more intimate than an outdoor shower in bathing suits.

Stern has been the target of stalkers and death threats. On January 15, 1998, Lance Carvin was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for stalking and threatening to kill Stern and his family.



In 2000, Stern began dating model Beth Ostrosky, who is 18 years his junior. Ostrosky co-hosted Casino Cinema on Spike TV from 2004 to 2007. She had also frequently appeared in the American edition of men's magazine FHM until it ceased publication in 2007.The pair have lived together in Manhattan with their Bulldog named Bianca Romijn-Stamos-O'Connell. Stern also owns a weekend house in the Hamptons on Long Island. After seven years, on February 14, 2007, Stern announced that he and Ostrosky became engaged.They were married on October 3, 2008 at Le Cirque restaurant in New York City.

Television career
In May 1987, Fox was looking for a late night talk show host to replace The Late Show then hosted by Joan Rivers. Stern was given the opportunity to record 5 pilot episodes of a late night show named The Howard Stern Show. According to Stern, he and Fox did not see eye to eye with censorship and content of the show.




Three years later in July 1990, Stern aired an hour long comedy show on WWOR-TV also called The Howard Stern Show, which became known as The Howard Stern Summer Show and the "Channel Nine Show". The show lasted a total of 69 episodes before ending in 1993 when Stern felt its production began to interfere with the growth of his radio show.

In 1994, cameras were installed in the radio show studio to produce a half hour show named Howard Stern on E!, which ran until the radio show's final year on terrestrial airwaves in 2005.

In 1998, Stern tried to compete with Saturday Night Live by creating The Howard Stern Radio Show, a television show broadcast on Saturday nights on CBS. This was soon to be unsuccessful, with Stern's show being beaten by SNL in the ratings. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote in a 1998 review of the show that "contrary to his most famous boast, Stern is really only the King of One Medium." The nationally syndicated show ran for a total of 84 episodes from June 17, 1998 to May 19, 2001. Stern quit further episodes so he could produce a syndicated show called Kane, yet the show was never produced.

In 2002, Stern's production company Howard Stern Productions acquired the rights to the the 1979 film Rock 'n' Roll High School and the 1982 film Porky's, neither of which have been re-made. Stern was also a producer of the TV series Son of the Beach, which ran for three seasons.

Stern informed listeners in early 2004 that he was in talks with ABC to produce an interview special, which never materialized. Stern had also intended to produce two cartoons, Doomsday and Howard Stern: The High School Years,but neither of these ever made it to the airwaves. On April 28, 2009 Stern explained on his show that he had refused to agree to flash animation over traditionally drawn cartoons.



In popular culture

Stern's prevalent media presence has led to his being parodied or referenced in various outlets;

His radio show is spoofed briefly in British satire Brasseye as The Adolf Snarn Show during the "Sex" episode.
In the Family Guy episode "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", a flashback depicts Peter Griffin repeatedly yelling "Bababooey!" at the Clarence Thomas hearings, a reference to Stern fans' practice of shouting that word (itself a reference to Stern's producer, Gary Dell'Abate) in order to disrupt live call-in TV and radio shows, or television reporters' live stand-ups.
He has been twice depicted in the MTV claymation comedy Celebrity Deathmatch, first as the victorious opponent of Kathie Lee Gifford, and again as a guest referee in a match between Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy.
In the South Park episode "Fat Camp", Kenny McCormick has oral sex with Stern in exchange for money.

Controversy
Stern has been known to be very vocal to voice his radical opinions with a direct style. For example, there is the case of his comments on the fans and music of American singer Selena. A few days after her death by murder, Howard Stern mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul... Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments outraged and infuriated the Hispanic community across Texas