50 Fun Facts About Howard Stern

In which New York City borough was Howard Stern born in January 1954?

He was born in Jackson Heights; the family moved to Roosevelt on Long Island the next year and later to Rockville Centre.

Stern's father Ben worked as a radio engineer and co-owned what kind of business in Manhattan?

Cartoons and commercials were recorded at Aura Recording Inc., where young Howard watched voice actors like Don Adams at work.

At roughly what age did Stern first become interested in radio?

He cited talk hosts Bob Grant and Brad Crandall as early influences and recorded mock shows on equipment his father provided.

Stern attended which school, where he started on the campus station WTBU?

He turned down Elmira College in 1972 and graduated magna cum laude in 1976 with a major in broadcasting and film.

What was Stern's weekly pay when WRNW first hired him full-time in 1976?

It was a six-day, four-hour midday shift. By November 1977 he was program director at $250 a week and living in a monastery room.

Where did the young Stern rent a room to save money while working at WRNW?

The monastery was in Armonk, New York. WRNW was a progressive rock station in Briarcliff Manor.

During the 1979 energy crisis at WCCC, Stern urged listeners to boycott which company for two days?

The Hartford stunt brought his first real media attention. He left WCCC in early 1980 after being denied a $25-a-week raise.

Which longtime writer did Stern meet at WCCC, where he was the overnight DJ?

Norris, born Fred Nukis, is the longest-tenured staff member after Stern and joined as writer and producer in 1981.

Stern left Detroit's WWWW in 1981 after the station abruptly switched to which format?

He refused to adapt and left two weeks later, turning down offers from WXRT in Chicago and CHUM in Toronto.

Robin Quivers was paired with Stern at which Washington, D.C. station in 1981?

Quivers was a former Air Force nurse and news reporter at WFBR who accepted the job without meeting him.

Before radio, Robin Quivers served as a nurse in which branch of the military?

She was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1975 and reached captain by 1978, having earlier worked in Maryland's shock-trauma unit.

In 1982 Stern signed a five-year, $1M deal to host afternoons at which New York station?

He signed in March, four months before his Washington contract expired, and WWDC fired him that June.

With which WNBC morning host did Stern begin a long-running feud in the 1980s?

When Stern moved to K-Rock mornings in 1986 it was explicitly to compete head-to-head with Imus.

Stern nicknamed WNBC program director Kevin Metheny, who ran the seven-second delay, what?

The character became Pig Vomit in the Private Parts film, where Paul Giamatti played him.

On what date in 1985 were Stern and Quivers abruptly fired by WNBC?

Management cited "conceptual differences." Within weeks he signed with Infinity Broadcasting to start at WXRK in November.

Which Philadelphia station began simulcasting the show on August 18, 1986?

By January 1993 Stern had overtaken KYW-AM in Philadelphia's morning ratings, ending its 14-year run at number one.

At its peak, roughly how many listeners did the syndicated Howard Stern Show reach?

It expanded to 60 markets across North America during his two decades at WXRK.

Gary Dell'Abate's nickname Baba Booey came from mangling the name of whose cartoon sidekick?

On July 26, 1990, discussing an animation cel he might buy, he called Baba Looey "Baba Booey." Stern said they had "only scratched the surface."

What was Gary Dell'Abate's weekly salary when he was hired on the show in 1984?

His duties included fetching Stern's lunch and scheduling guests. He has been executive producer ever since.

Which comedian was hired in February 1983 to make weekly appearances as a comedy writer?

"The Joke Man" stayed through the 1990s. Impressionist Billy West and intern Stuttering John Melendez arrived in 1988.

Staffer "Stuttering John" Melendez became known for doing what?

He ambushed stars on red carpets and at press conferences. Melendez later became Jay Leno's announcer.

Which venue sold out in four hours for the 1989 Stern vs. Dell'Abate tennis match?

The match stemmed from an on-air challenge and was released on home video.

Stern's 1990-92 WWOR-TV variety show regularly out-rated which NBC program in New York?

It began as four summer specials in 1990, was syndicated to 65 markets, and ended in 1992.

Stern's self-proclaimed title "King of All Media" began in 1992 as a jab at whom?

It riffed on Jackson's "King of Pop." Stern later filed a trademark for the phrase.

In October 1992 Stern became the first to top morning radio in both New York and which city?

The same year he released the Crucified by the FCC compilation of censored segments.

Stern appeared at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards as which costumed character?

The character originated in National Lampoon. A planned New Line film, The Adventures of Fartman, was abandoned in 1993.

Which publisher released Stern's first book, Private Parts, in October 1993?

He wrote it with Larry "Ratso" Sloman and editor Judith Regan for roughly $1 million. It became the publisher's fastest seller within five days.

How many weeks did Private Parts spend at number one on The New York Times bestseller list?

Its first print run of 225,000 sold out within hours, and a New York City signing drew an estimated 10,000 people.

After Stern backed her 1993 campaign, Governor Christine Todd Whitman named what after him?

The Interstate 295 rest area south of Trenton got a $1,000 plaque, which was stolen within days and mailed to Stern.

On which party's ticket did Stern announce a run for Governor of New York in March 1994?

He promised to restore the death penalty, scrap tolls and limit road work to nights, then resign. He withdrew rather than disclose his finances.

The 1995 New York law limiting road construction to night hours was nicknamed what?

Governor Pataki signed it, adopting one plank of Stern's abandoned 1994 platform.

Stern won Billboard's Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year how many years in a row?

The category was created in 1994 and he won it every year through 2002.

Stern's second book, Miss America, was published in 1995 by which imprint?

It sold 1.39 million copies that year, the third best-selling book of 1995, and held number one for 16 weeks.

Who directed the 1997 film version of Private Parts?

Reitman produced and suggested Thomas after working with her on The Late Shift. Stern, Quivers and Norris played themselves.

Who played the program director Pig Vomit in Private Parts?

Director Betty Thomas chose between Giamatti and Hoffman, recalling both were "kind of good" but "a little nervous."

Private Parts opened at number one in March 1997 and grossed how much domestically in total?

Its $14.6 million opening weekend topped the box office. The film's budget was $28 million.

Which band plays the outdoor thank-you concert for fans in Private Parts?

The scene was shot in New York's Bryant Park in July 1996. Stern recorded a soundtrack song with Rob Zombie.

Private Parts: The Album set a record for a soundtrack debut by selling how many copies in week one?

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum within three months.

Son of the Beach, Stern's most successful executive-produced series, parodied which show?

It ran on FX from March 2000 to October 2002 and was not renewed for a fourth season.

Where did Forbes place Stern on its first Celebrity 100 list in 1999?

The magazine estimated his annual earnings at $20 million at the time.

Roughly how much in FCC indecency fines did station owners pay over Stern's show?

The fines, plus fallout from the 2004 Super Bowl halftime controversy, pushed him toward unregulated satellite radio.

Stern's 2004 deal with Sirius Satellite Radio was reported to be worth how much over five years?

It included an annual $100 million production budget. On his first day in 2006 he also received Sirius stock worth $218 million for hitting subscriber targets.

Stern's final live show on terrestrial radio aired on what date?

A stage was built outside the studio for farewell speeches. His first Sirius broadcast followed on January 9, 2006.

What are the names of Stern's two dedicated SiriusXM channels?

They went live in September 2005 while he was still under contract at CBS, along with Howard 100 News.

Stern replaced which judge when he joined America's Got Talent for its seventh season?

He served as a judge from 2012 to 2015, taping in New York so he could keep doing his morning show.

In what year was Stern inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame?

He had been openly critical of the organization. In 2018 he inducted Bon Jovi into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

What is the title of the broadcaster's third book, published in 2019?

Like Private Parts it was published by Simon & Schuster and leaned on his reputation as a long-form interviewer.

Which musician was the subject of a 2022 HBO special built around a Stern interview?

The Howard Stern Interview: Bruce Springsteen was filmed in the Sirius studio on October 31, 2022.

Who was the first sitting U.S. president Stern interviewed one-on-one, in April 2024?

He interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris that October. Trump responded by calling Stern a "beta male."

Stern married model and TV host Beth Ostrosky in 2008 at which New York restaurant?

Mark Consuelos officiated. The couple are longtime supporters of North Shore Animal League America and opened a cat adoption center named for their bulldog Bianca.