Those early Sirius years were the peak of The Howard Stern Show.
Sure, the move to Sirius also came with the caveat that the show would only air four days per week, but as most episodes stretched to nearly five hours instead of the established four, it evened out. And it was all great stuff – especially since I could listen to the whole show even if I’d missed anything in the morning, thanks to the show looping on one of Stern’s two Sirius channels, as well as certain radios having recording capability.“
For me, those early Sirius years were the peak of The Howard Stern Show, though I know many longtime fans would choose other eras. Regardless, things changed forever in 2010, when Lange, who’d long battled drug addiction, attempted suicide. After his recovery, he never returned to Stern’s air, either as a co-host or even a guest. Stern soldiered on, but he not only never had Lange on again, he rarely talked about the breakup, even when pressed by callers, and declared on-air that he wouldn’t fill the “Artie chair” (previously the “Jackie chair”). Instead, he’d get back to the show being just himself, Robin, and Fred.
Yes, he’s gotten older, and yes, he’s changed. But change is good.
I wondered if he might retire after his last contract expired after 2015. After all, he was nearly 61 years old at the time and seemed to be developing a more well-rounded life, be it with friends, hobbies, or assisting in his wife Beth Stern’s animal-rescue efforts. But to my surprise, he re-upped, and not for a shorter three-year term as I would’ve guessed, but for five years, complemented by a 12-year content deal that would keep his channels active well into the next decade even if he was no longer doing new shows. Sure, he’d only be working three days a week now, but unlike some fans, I never held that against him. He’d been at the top of his field for decades. He’d earned the softer schedule as far as I was concerned.“
To fill the gap left without another professional comedian in the room, Stern doubled down on two things: celebrity interviews and the “wack pack,” the Stern Show’s gaggle of regular callers and personalities who all have some odd personality quirk. The former has been a home run. A-list guests from Paul McCartney to Jerry Seinfeld to Robert Plant have stopped by in recent years, and while some fans accuse Stern of kowtowing to the A-list in order to be accepted by it, I see it as a natural evolution for the one-time shock jock. Yes, he’s gotten older, and yes, he’s changed. But change is good. He seems happy in his marriage and he’s learned how to have a better work-life balance; this includes being friends with fellow famous people rather than seeing them as enemies, as he used to. The point is, these interviews are longer than ever – usually an hour and sometimes more – and the conversations are almost always interesting, even if it’s a public figure I hadn’t taken much interest in previously. They go well beyond the canned, pre-interviewed five-minute chats these stars would do on other programs.
The Howard Stern Show has, to its detriment, become insular.
But it’s Stern’s reliance on the wack pack, as well as his efforts to turn his behind-the-scenes staff and producers into on-air talent, that have simply not worked. Most of the callers are just hungry for air time and have no actual comedic talent; the shtick from the likes of Bobo, Marianne from Brooklyn, King of All Blacks, etc. got old years ago. The same can be said of Stern’s staff. Even “amateur comedian” would be a generous label for Ronnie the Limo Driver, JD, Jason, etc. Collectively, they’re not professionals and they’re just not funny, and yet Stern continues to rely on them to fill the bulk of a 12-hour show week. The Howard Stern Show has, to its detriment, become insular – which I’d have to imagine was one of Stern’s great fears as he moved from a 20-million-listener audience on FM to 400,000 paying subscribers on Sirius (which has since, including a merger with XM Radio, swelled to over 34 million subscribers). If you tried to jump in as a new listener today, you'd have no idea who any of these people are, why they're on the air, or what any of their countless in-jokes are.“
Even Stern's extremely recent attempts at livening up the show with a “panel” – bringing producers and other behind-the-scenes staff from the back office into the studio to chime in on mic from time to time – fall flat, as it’s not only doubling down on the amateur-comedian angle, but it’s just a bunch of guys chuckling at what the boss says. It’s a laugh track – a poor version of the “morning zoo” form of radio that Stern himself has railed against for years. I still listen to the show regularly, yes, but unless it’s a celebrity interview I’m pretty quick to change the channel.
Lange’s departure was a fork in the road for Stern.
At the time of Lange’s unfortunate departure, I’d hoped that comedian Jim Breuer would be recruited to take Lange’s place in Stern’s studio. Between his killer impressions, his polished stand-up comic wit, and his East Coast roots – not to mention many phenomenal appearances on the Stern Show – he seemed like the perfect person to inject a fresh energy into the long-running morning show. Who knows if Breuer would’ve even wanted the job, of course, but he was my pick. Instead, Stern chose no one, for reasons he’s never publicly disclosed. And I believe Stern’s program has suffered for it.“
Recently, Stern indicated with more seriousness than ever that he might finally walk away after his on-air deal expires in 2020. If he does, the aforementioned 12-year content deal no doubt sets his staff up to maintain gainful employment while he rides off into the sunset. But whether Stern retires or continues on longer, I’ll always appreciate of all the years of entertainment. Not a lot of performers – in any medium – can match Stern’s accomplishments or longevity. That being said, I always thought I would miss The Howard Stern Show when the day finally came that it was no longer on the air. Now, however, I’m ready for the end. Lange’s departure was a fork in the road for Stern, and I don’t believe he chose the best path forward. Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews and has been a regular listener of The Howard Stern Show for over 20 years. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible. Baba Booey!