Howard Stern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Howard Stern
Stern in May 2012
Born	Howard Allan Stern (1954-01-12) January 12, 1954 (age 71) New York City, U.S.
Education	Boston University (BA)
Occupation	Broadcaster media personality
Years active	1975–present
Political party	Libertarian
Spouse(s)	Alison Berns ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 2001)​ Beth Ostrosky ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	3

Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio host and media personality. He is famous for his radio show, The Howard Stern Show. This show became very popular when it was broadcast across the country on regular radio from 1986 to 2005. Since 2006, he has been broadcasting on Sirius XM, a satellite radio service.

Stern got his first radio jobs while studying at Boston University. He worked at different radio stations, developing his unique on-air style. From 2012 to 2015, he was also a judge on the popular TV show America's Got Talent. He has won many awards for his radio work. Stern has also written books and produced TV shows, earning him the nickname "King of All Media."

Howard Stern's Early Life and Education

Howard Allan Stern was born on January 12, 1954, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. His parents, Ben and Ray Stern, were Jewish. His father worked as a radio engineer and co-owned a recording studio. Howard described his older sister, Ellen, as very quiet.

In 1955, his family moved to Roosevelt, New York, on Long Island. Howard went to Washington-Rose Elementary School and then Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School. He also attended Hebrew school. As a child, he took piano lessons and enjoyed playing with marionettes. He even formed a band called Electric Comicbook.

Howard wanted to be in radio from a young age. His father set up a microphone and tape machine in their basement. Howard used these to create his own pretend radio shows. He would make up characters and record funny calls and sketches. He visited his father's recording studio and saw voice actors at work. This made him want to be on the air and create his own show.

In 1969, his family moved to Rockville Centre. Howard, then fifteen, transferred to South Side High School. He graduated in 1972.

In 1972, Stern chose to study Communications at Boston University. During his second year, he started working at the campus radio station, WTBU. He played music, read the news, and hosted interview shows. He also co-hosted a comedy show called The King Schmaltz Bagel Hour. In 1974, he was accepted into the university's School of Public Communications. He also got a special license needed for radio broadcasters at the time. In May 1976, Stern graduated with honors.

Howard Stern's Radio Career

After college, Stern started working at WRNW, a rock station in Briarcliff Manor, New York. He was unsure about his skills at first. He even tried working in advertising but quickly realized radio was his passion. He returned to WRNW, working his way up to program director.

In 1979, Stern moved to WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut, as a morning host. He started making his show more daring and funny. It was here that he met Fred Norris, who would become his long-time writer and producer. Stern left WCCC in 1980 because he was denied a small raise.

Next, Stern worked at WWWW in Detroit, Michigan. He tried to be more open and honest on the air. His efforts earned him his first industry award. However, the station's ratings continued to drop, and it changed its music style. Stern left after two weeks.

Moving to Washington D.C. and New York

In 1981, Stern became the morning host at WWDC in Washington, D.C.. He planned a new show and looked for a co-host. The station paired him with Robin Quivers, a former nurse and news reporter. Despite some issues with management over content, their show became very popular. By January 1982, it was the second-highest-rated morning show in the city.

Because of his success, Stern was offered a big five-year deal to work at WNBC in New York City. He signed the contract in March 1982. His relationship with WWDC management worsened, and he was fired in June 1982.

Stern started his afternoon show at WNBC on August 30, 1982. The station closely watched him and told him to avoid sensitive topics. He was even suspended once for a controversial sketch. The station hired an attorney to use a seven-second delay to censor his show. Stern often argued with the program director, Kevin Metheny, whom he nicknamed "Pig Virus."

In 1984, Stern's popularity grew. He appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and was featured in People magazine. In May 1985, his show had the highest ratings at WNBC in four years. However, on September 30, 1985, Stern and Quivers were fired. WNBC said it was due to "conceptual differences" about the show.

Becoming the "King of All Media"

After being fired, Stern continued to connect with his fans by doing live stage shows. He signed a new five-year contract with Infinity Broadcasting to host afternoons on WXRK in New York City. He started there on November 18, 1985. Determined to beat his old station, Stern moved his show to the morning slot in February 1986.

His show began to be broadcast in other cities in August 1986. In New York, it was the top-rated morning radio show for many years. During his twenty years at WXRK, his show was heard in 60 cities across North America. It reached a peak audience of 20 million listeners.

Stern started calling himself the "King of All Media" in 1992. This was a playful way to describe his success beyond radio. He hosted and produced several late-night TV shows and pay-per-view events.

Howard Stern's Books and Movies

Howard Stern has written three books. His first book, Private Parts, was released in October 1993. It was a huge success, selling out its first print run in hours. It became the fastest-selling book in the history of its publisher and reached number one on The New York Times Best-Seller list. Stern held book signings where thousands of fans showed up.

In February 1996, a movie based on Private Parts began production. Stern, Quivers, and Norris played themselves in the film. Private Parts premiered on February 27, 1997. It was number one at the US box office in its opening weekend and earned over $41 million. The movie's soundtrack also topped the Billboard 200 chart and sold over one million copies.

Stern's second book, Miss America, was released in November 1995. It also became a number one New York Times Best-Seller. His third book, Howard Stern Comes Again, was released in 2019.

Howard Stern's Political Interests

In March 1994, Howard Stern announced he would run for Governor of New York as a member of the Libertarian Party. He had three main goals: bring back the death penalty, remove highway tolls, and limit road work to night hours. He said he would resign once these goals were met.

Stern won the party's nomination. However, he had to reveal his home address and financial information to be on the final ballot. Stern did not want to share his income, saying it was "none of your business." He withdrew his candidacy in August 1994. Later, a bill was signed into law that limited construction on state roads to night hours in New York City and Long Island. It was named the "Howard Stern Bill" in his honor.

Joining Satellite Radio

In 2004, there was a lot of discussion about what could be said on radio and TV. This led to stricter rules for content. Feeling limited creatively, Stern announced on October 6, 2004, that he was signing a five-year deal with Sirius Satellite Radio. This was a subscription-based service that was not regulated by the government in the same way. This move was seen as the start of "a new era of radio."

Stern's last live show on regular radio was on December 16, 2005. His first contract with Sirius was worth $500 million. He created two channels, Howard 100 and Howard 101, which launched in September 2005. He also launched HowardTV, a service that showed uncensored tapings of his radio show.

On January 9, 2006, Stern began his first broadcast on Sirius. He received a large amount of Sirius stock for bringing in many new subscribers. In 2008, Sirius merged with another service, XM Satellite Radio, to form SiriusXM.

Judge on America's Got Talent

In 2011, Stern announced he would be a judge on the TV show America's Got Talent. He replaced Piers Morgan for the show's seventh season. He even had the show move to Radio City Music Hall in New York City to fit his radio schedule.

Stern continued as a judge for four seasons, leaving at the end of the tenth season in September 2015. He wanted to spend more time on his radio show. In 2012, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

In 2013 and 2014, Forbes magazine listed Stern as one of America's highest-paid television personalities. In 2015, Forbes named him the world's highest-paid media personality.

In December 2015, Stern signed a new deal with SiriusXM to continue his radio show for another five years. This agreement also gave Sirius the rights to his radio and video archives for a new streaming app. In December 2020, he renewed his contract again for five more years.

Howard Stern's Personal Life

Stern met his first wife, Alison Berns, at Boston University. They married on June 4, 1978. They have three daughters: Emily Beth, Debra Jennifer, and Ashley Jade. They separated in October 1999 and divorced in 2001.

In 2000, he began dating model and TV host Beth Ostrosky. They got engaged in 2007 and married on October 3, 2008, in New York City. In 2017, Stern bought a home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Stern's parents practiced Transcendental Meditation, and he learned it too. He says it helped him quit smoking and achieve his goals.

Howard Stern is a strong supporter and fundraiser for North Shore Animal League America. Since 2014, he and Beth have been fostering cats in their Long Island home. They help about 200 cats each year.

Filmography

Film

Home video

Television

Discography

Images for kids

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  Stern at the Libertarian Party convention during his candidacy for Governor of New York

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  Stern in 2000

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  Stern and wife Beth Ostrosky in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Howard Stern para niños