Smartphones Are Fine,Thank You Without Howard…

You won’t find Howard Stern on your iPhone or iPod-touch these days and there’s some question whether Howard 100 and Howard 101 channels are likely to show up any time soon or at all.  According to the acerbic one who’s reached first-name status, it’s a “contractual rights thing.”  The absence of ‘Howard’ hasn’t hurt the sale of iPhone or iPod-touch, to know one’s surprise.  Even Howard admitted this on his show earlier this week: “Sirius is great, even without us.”  But that admission won’t stop Howard from negotiating on the air with Sirius XM Radio’s CEO Mel Karmazin to position himself to gain “contractual rights” for smartphones, something not included in his original contract.  Stern’s five-year, $500 million satellite-radio deal is over at the end of 2010.  Howard reasons that should iPhone streaming conflict with his “on demand” television deal, that problem would be easy to fix with additional funds.  Are you listening, Mel?…

The Motley Fool writes that retirement is a possibility for Stern when his contract ends: “Retirement is certainly a possibility.  Stern should have plenty of money socked away.  His current show schedule is already light — just four shows a week, with several weeks off during the year — so he’s unlikely to get an even softer schedule come 2011″, if he chooses to stay.  MF believes that Stern may decide that he’s ready to “break out on his own.  The success of Internet radio apps may make satellites unnecessary in a smartphone future and he can launch his own premium network and broadcast into computers everywhere and the smartphone audience will also get bigger as Apple, Research In Motion and Palm will command even larger audiences in 2011.”…

Stern may decide that he’s had enough with just broadcasting in the U.S. and become a name globally.  Whatever he decides to do, whether it’s retirement, a new deal with Sirius, any or all of the above, it will be his choice.  Can radio exist without Howard?  Bet on it. All forms of radio will survive with or without Howard…        

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1876] Curtains: Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at Little Big Horn (MT). And yes, this was known as “Custer’s Last Stand“…
2. 1950] War…what is it good for? Absolutely nothing: War breaks out on the Korean peninsula as forces from the communist North invade the South…
3. 1968] Talkin’ Baseball: Bobby Bonds(father of Barry) becomes the second major leaguer to debut with a grand-slam home run (the immortal Bill Duggleby did it in 1898 and since Bonds, immortals Jeremy Hermida (05) and Kevin Kouzmanoff (06) also accomplished the rarity)…
4. 1970] Beep It!: The FCC makes it illegal for radio stations to put telephone callers on the air without the permission of the person being called. A beep was then installed on the phone for that purpose…
5. 1973] Ratted out: White House Counsel John Dean admits that President Nixon took part in the Watergate cover-up…
6. 1985] Two and a half men: ABC-TV’s “Monday Night Football” announces a new line-up in the booth: Frank Gifford, Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson. The worst play-by-pay team ever.  No Cossell? No MNF…
7. 1993] TV curtains: The last original “Late Night With David Letterman” airs on NBC-TV with guest Tom Hanks. This clip contains the open to the June 24th show.  Re-runs will follow until September. On August 30th, Letterman takes his show to CBS-TV where it still resides…
8. 1996] Death in the desert: A truck bomb kills 19 Americans and injures hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia…
9. 1997] “Happy Trails”: Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau dies of a heart attack at 87.  John Denver talks about Cousteau and then sings his praise…
10. 2005] Trouble in Tehran: Hardline Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is declared the winner of Iran’s presidential runoff election. Sound familiar???

       






Music Memories:

• 1966] Number One on this date: “Paperback Writer“ - The Beatles…
• 1967] Live from London: The Beatles sing “All You Need Is Love“ on the BBC’s “Our World” music special that reaches 350 million viewers globally. The 6-minute segment also featured Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and a host of friends singing backup…
• 1969] Recorded on this date: “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother“ - The Hollies (Elton John played piano)…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”: “E.R.’s” Linda Cardellini (34), Carlos Delgado (37), George Michael (46), Phyllis George (60), Jimmie (”J.J.”) Walker (62), Carly Simon (64), Willis Reed (67), Eddie Floyd (74), June Lockhart (84) and Sidney Lumet (85)…

Timeline Countdown: 9 days until July 4th, 20 days until the MLB All-Star Game and 30 days until the first NFL training camp (Giants) opens…

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