Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an
American radio personality, television host, author, actor, and photographer best known for
his radio show, which was nationally
syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "
shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style. Stern has been exclusive to
Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based
satellite radio service, since 2006. The son of a former recording and radio engineer, Stern wished to pursue a career in radio at the age of five. While at
Boston University he worked at the campus station
WTBU before a brief stint at
WNTN in
Newton, Massachusetts. He developed his on-air personality when he landed positions at
WRNW in
Briarcliff Manor,
WCCC in
Hartford and
WWWW in
Detroit. In 1981, he was paired with his current newscaster and co-host
Robin Quivers at
WWDC in
Washington, D.C. Stern then moved to
WNBC in
New York City in 1982 to host afternoons until his firing in 1985. He re-emerged on
WXRK that year, and became one of the most popular radio personalities during his 20-year tenure at the station. Stern's show is the most-fined radio program, after the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
issued fines to station licensees for allegedly indecent material that totaled $2.5 million. Stern has won
Billboard's Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year award eight times, and is one of the highest-paid figures in radio. Stern describes himself as the "
King of All Media" for his ventures outside radio. Since 1987, he has hosted numerous late night
television shows,
pay-per-view events and home video releases. He embarked on a five-month political campaign for
Governor of New York in 1994. His two books,
Private Parts (1993) and
Miss America (1995), spent 20 and 16 weeks respectively on
The New York Times Best Seller list. The former was adapted into
Private Parts (1997), a biographical comedy film that starred Stern and his radio show
staff that earned $41.2 million in domestic revenue. Stern performs on its
soundtrack which topped the
Billboard 200 chart.
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