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Sirius XM Posts First Profits Since Merger, But Will Stern Stay?

Admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:48:25 +0000

For the first time since their 2008 merger, Sirius XM radio are in the black with a $14.2 million profit in the fourth quarter of 2009, the New York Times reports. That might not sound like much — it equates to less than penny gain per stock share — but considering Sirius XM lost $245 million in the year following the merger, the profit represents a financial shift for the company. Sirius XM were helped by the fact that the automobile industry, an indispensable partner for the satellite radio company (people love their car stereos), showed signs of post-recession recovery. Sirius XM anticipated another half-million new customers by the end of 2010.

At press time, Sirius XM’s stock currently sits at $1.03 — again, not a huge number — but the stock had sunk to as low as 12 cents in the past 52 weeks while the company narrowly avoided bankruptcy at one point. As Rolling Stone previously reported, last May Sirius XM reported its first-ever drop in subscribers — and many listeners were initially rankled by station shifts as the company consolidated channels. According to the NYT, lower costs and an increase of new-car buyers purchasing a subscription after their free trial expired also contributed to Sirius XM’s turnaround.

Total revenue for Sirius XM was $684 million, beating out industry expectations by $20 million. One dark cloud on the horizon, however, is the possible departure of shock jock Howard Stern, whose massive five-year contract with Sirius wraps up at year’s end.

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Howard Stern Considering Replacing Simon Cowell On ‘American Idol’

Admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:50:01 +0000

‘There’s not a better job on the planet than judging a karaoke contest,’ Stern says on his Sirius radio show.
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman

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Howard Stern

Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

On Monday (February 8), Howard Stern not only confirmed reports that Fox is interested in hiring him to replace departing “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell, but that the interest is mutual.

“There’s not a better job on the planet than judging a f—–g karaoke contest,” Stern told his satellite radio listeners. “It might be possible, we’ll see.”

Stern, who frequently dissects “Idol” on his radio program, joked that the deciding factor in the negotiations might be the size of the paycheck show producers are willing to shell out for his services.

“They’d have to pay me a ton of dough, because I already make a ton of dough,” he said.

Stern’s five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM is set to expire in January of next year. And according to some reports, “Idol” producers are prepared to match that deal.

“A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million,” Stern said. “It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn’t take that?”

Stern added that he wouldn’t do a radio show if he landed the “Idol” job, and said that, while the show is “nothing” without Cowell, he had read reports that it was the acerbic Brit himself who suggested the longtime shock jock take his place at the end of this season.

“I’m not going to comment about any discussions I might or might not have had,” he said. “I watch ‘American Idol.’ … people seem to think that if I was on it, because I’m such a foul-mouthed, miserable f—, that I would get them thrown off the air. I know how to judge.”

And to that end, he said that, really, he’s the best man for the job, since he’d be able to replace the acerbic wit the show would be missing without Cowell.

“If I do say so myself, I can’t imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell],” Stern said. “I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who’s not afraid to speak their mind?”

And what else would Stern bring to the table? Well, judging by the jokes he made about current “Idol” judges Randy Jackson and Ellen DeGeneres, he wouldn’t be opposed to sparring with his fellow judges. And when asked about the kinds of critiques he’d offer up to auditioners, he replied with this hypothetical nugget.

” ‘Hey Fantasia, you’re not getting little boys hard. You look like you stepped out of a cartoon. … They want a Britney Spears or a Rihanna,” Stern said. “Little boys are scared that you are going to sit on them. You’re out. … You’ve got to go clean up your act. Get a haircut like Rihanna if you want little boys [to get excited about] you.”

Should make for an interesting show! A spokesperson for 19 Entertainment, which produces “American Idol,” told MTV News there was no comment on the Stern situation.

Would Howard Stern make a good replacement for Simon Cowell on “American Idol”? What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!

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Howard Stern Says He’d Judge on “American Idol” for $100 Million

Admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:48:15 +0000

Photo: Ufberg/WireImage
Last week Page Six stoked a rumor that Howard Stern is a possible candidate to replace the departing Simon Cowell on next season’s American Idol. Today the shock jock addressed the reports on his satellite radio show, admitting the job wouldn’t be out of the question. “There’s not a better job on the planet than judging a fucking karaoke contest,” Stern said, MTV reports. “It might be possible, we’ll see.”

As Rolling Stone reported last week, Stern’s five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM expires in January 2011, freeing up the radio personality to pursue other opportunities. While the New York Post wrote last week that Idol’s overtures to Stern might just be a leverage tool to help secure Stern a lucrative new contract from his current employer, Stern seemed pretty open about taking on the Idol job because he’s long been a fan of the show. “If I do say so myself, I can’t imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell],” Stern said. “I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who’s not afraid to speak their mind?”

Idol producers are rumored to be considering offering Stern a contract that mirrors his five-year, $500 million deal with Sirius XM, but considering Paula Abdul and Idol split ways over a few million and Cowell will only make a reported $50 million per season to executive produce and judge on The X Factor, that figure seems a little excessive. “A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million,” Stern said. “It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn’t take that?”

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Is Howard Stern Replacing Simon Cowell on Idol?

Admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:02:40 +0000

Stars are clamoring to replace Simon Cowell at the American Idol judges table, but is America’s favorite “shock jock” really one of them?

Howard Stern, 56, is the Idol producers’ top choice to replace Cowell, according to The New York Post. The Sirius radio host’s hefty contract expires…

Howard Stern Named as Rumored Replacement for Cowell on “Idol”

Admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:18:38 +0000

Photo: Devaney/WireImage

When Simon Cowell revealed last month that this would in fact be his last season as an American Idol judge, speculation immediately began regarding who would replace the scowling Brit at the judges’ table. Early rumor mongering had Ryan Seacrest doing double duty as both host and judge on AI, but today the New York Post’s Page Six mentions a new, much more interesting candidate to replace Cowell next season: Howard Stern.

According to Page Six, producers are eager to hire Stern to fill Cowell’s vacancy. Stern’s exclusive, industry-changing contract with Sirius Radio ends January 2011, and the shock jock has been using satellite airwaves to talk openly about his future. “I was approached by a major TV network to take over a TV show and leave here and do that next year — and I did turn it down… I’m not even sure if I want to be working. I’m waiting to see what happens,” Stern recently said on his morning show, the Post reports.

Money issues aside — Page Six suspects Stern is using Idol as leverage to get a new contract from Sirius — another factor that could prevent Stern from becoming an Idol judge is his reluctance to uproot his life in New York and move to Los Angeles for a long period of time (see O’Brien, Conan). Still, a source says producers feel Stern would be as, if not more, combative with contestants and his fellow judges, including Ellen DeGeneres.

So have it at, Rolling Stone readers: Should Stern become the next Idol judge? If we were in charge, we wouldn’t stop at Howard; we’d invite Robin and Fred to tag along too. Don’t like Stern in the role, then who would you recommend to producers? Let us know in the comments below.

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