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A Stern Decision
It's official.At least as official as anything Stern says on his morning radio show (on 97.1 FM in Los Angeles). But today Stern confirmed on-air that in 15 months, when his contract with Infinity Broadcasting ends, he will be leaving the company to start a new radio show to be broadcast solely on Sirius Broadcasting's satellite radio.
For Stern, this means a future of radio broadcasting where the FCC cannot penalize Stern for what they perceive to be indecent, vulgar content. And since satellite radio is a subscriber-only service (much like how HBO and Showtime work), Stern will have free reign to deliver "the best radio they [listeners] will ever hear."
Sirius, competitor to XM Satellite radio, reaches more than 10 million DISH Network satellite TV and Sirius Satellite Radio subscribers nationwide — and will most likely give the big 'ol slam-down to XM when Stern steps atop his new throne at the end of next year.
LAist, a long-time fan of the shock-jock, has found ourselves less entertained over the last year as Stern's radio show has become obsessed with FCC issues, the problems and the drama associated with the politics surrounding Clear Channel, and good 'ol Dubya. It's nice to know that in, just over a year, Stern will be back to his old antics and craziness on the "digital" airwaves.
The only drawback? It's not gonna be free.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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