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Howard Stern Extends SiriusXM Contract Five More Years

Coming to SiriusXM from traditional radio 15 years ago made Howard Stern feel like “Tina Turner freeing myself from Ike,” the self-proclaimed “king of all media” said Tuesday in announcing a five-year contract extension.

Howard

Howard

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons: Bill Norton, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>

The deal, which also covers another seven years of audio and video archives of “The Howard Stern Show,” will reportedly earn the 66-year-old Long Islander $120 million a year.

It’s Stern’s fourth-straight five-year contract with SiriusXM Satellite Radio, coming just a few weeks before the last one was to expire.

He spoke of it on his show Tuesday morning:

Fifteen years ago, I joined SiriusXM, a fledgling group of broadcasters. I had been in a toxic relationship with terrestrial radio. And no matter how well I treated the medium, no matter how successful I made them, they abused me.

“Going to SiriusXM liberated me. I felt like Tina Turner freeing myself from Ike.

“And despite the naysayers and the ridicule, we have persevered, and are thriving. I’ve been proven right about satellite radio over and over again. With this contract renewal, I can’t wait to see what else I’ll be right about. Certainly, I have a lot more to say about Metamucil crackers and stepmom porn.

“Plus, now that I can work from home, I simply don’t have an excuse to quit.

“I would like to thank my incredible crew that I work with every morning and of course the talented Robin Quivers. Robin, we make a great team. Like Sonny and Cher, Captain and Tennille, Charles Manson and Squeaky Fromme, we continue our great friendship. I look forward to more laughs and good times.

“As a proud member of Bachelor Nation I say…Robin, will you accept my rose and dare I say, should you forgo your individual room, will you join me in the fantasy suite?

Stern also praised SiriusXM, which has grown in popularity with him.

“Our next five years together will be incredible. Join the party,” he said.

Stern, who began in radio at Boston University, first made his name as a morning-drive DJ in Briarcliff Manor, Hartford, Detroit and Washington, DC before handling afternoon on WNBC in New York City from 1982 until 1985.

A 20-year run followed at WXRK in New York City with what became a syndicated morning show attracting as many as 20 million listeners in 60 markets.

One of his biggest breaks came when the Federal Communications Commission issued fines fined station owners a combined $2.5 million for what it considered indecent Stern programming.

He signed the first of his five years deals with Sirius, worth a reported $500 million, in 2004.

From there, Stern went on to build a reputation as one of the best interviewers in any medium while speaking out about racism, sexism and homophobia, among other topics.

He hosted and produced several late-night TV shows, pay-per-view events and home videos. He’s written three books, the first of which, “Private Parts,” became a bio-pic in which Stern and his on-air radio staff portrayed themselves.

The film grossed $41.2 million domestically

Stern also was a judge on “America’s Got Talent” from 2012 to 2015.

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