The Arrow's classic rock format would be a decent fit for Stern. He has been successful on classic rock stations. But aside from the fact that KKRW is happy with Dean and Rog, KKRW and KLOL are both owned by Chancellor Media. As such, KKRW and KLOL are programmed more to complement each other, not compete. If KKRW were to carry Stern, it would cannibalize Stevens and Pruett's younger audience and thus undermine Chancellor Media's obvious corporate goal of total market dominance.
The Buzz, which is owned by Clear Channel/Jacor, has a younger audience and intuitively seems like a great place for Stern's rantings. Trapp says he has even considered putting Stern on KTBZ. "We just can't see how to make it work financially," he says. "He costs so much money that from our standpoint he's cost-prohibitive. It doesn't matter how big his audience is — it would be difficult to make our money back on Howard. We've never been able to look at it and see how it makes any sense."
Rand Carlson
Howard Stern and Houston seem a perfect match. What's keeping them apart?
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Like any other business, the bottom line in radio is the bottom line. In addition to asking for a large annual fee to carry his program, Stern requires that radio stations give him a certain amount of their commercial inventory and a percentage of the station's profit. Since morning shows can generate more than 50 percent of a radio station's revenue, a radio station cannot afford to lose one nickel on Stern. It's unlikely the station will make up that loss and turn a profit with the other dayparts.
"He is just very expensive," Duggan says. "If he is successful, which he often is, but not always, then you might have a viable product. But if he's not, if you're not gangbusters right out the chute, then you're going to be losing a lot of money."
Says KKRW's Scott: "If you have a lesser-name show, just a couple young guys that hit it off, if they have a reasonably successful middle-level show, they may make more money for the company. So sometimes Howard is not the best answer."
With the prospect of Stern's coming to Houston rather bleak, fans have to get their fix through his television shows. Though Houstonians don't get to hear Stern's daily radio show, he continues to be a major force in that industry, and his career is still on the upswing. Just how good is Howard Stern, and how long will he last?
"Howard certainly is, barring anything else, compelling," says Scott. "He makes people turn up the radio and listen to what he's going to do next, and that's the key of most successful morning shows. Where Howard goes too far is in embarrassing his guests and making them look bad. You can do that for a while, but eventually you run out of guests that are willing to put up with it. Howard also has a tendency to get mean-spirited sometimes, to lesser-known people that he invites to his own show. When you appear to be attacking people for the sport of it, audiences can turn on you."
Says KTBZ's Trapp: "I think he's one of the most brilliant 'sit-down,' as opposed to 'stand-up,' comics there is. He's quick-witted and a lot smarter than people give him credit for. He's undoubtedly one of the marquee names in broadcasting. You just can't escape the Howard phenomenon. I've been listening to people tell me since 1992 that Howard was over, and he ain't over yet."
His style of radio will continue to create controversy and continue to make money. That's the bottom line.
Fan of Howard's?
Who listens to Howard Stern?
Don't let anyone tell you Howard Stern appeals only to unwashed males under 25. Stern's demographics are actually quite lucrative for advertisers.
5.6 million people listen to Howard Stern every week.
74 percent of his audience is 25 to 54, the most coveted demographic in radio.
64 percent of his audience is 25 to 44.
57 percent of his audience has a household income of $50,000 or more.
33 percent of his audience has a college degree.
61 percent of his audience is employed in white-collar occupations.
Source: Scarborough Qualitative Research for Howard Stern CBS-owned affiliates/Howard Stern Ad Network.
