sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

September 2, 2019 2:01 pm  #1


1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

It was September 2nd that Howard Stern had his debut on Canadian radio on Q107 in Toronto and CHOM FM in Montreal.

Both stations paid a lot for Stern's show and were expecting and hoping for great ratings. Stern didn't last long in Montreal with CHOM going from the fifth highest rated morning show in Montreal and sliding to near the bottom over the year.

In Toronto, Stern started out strong but ran afoul with the CBSC (Canadian Broadcast Standards Council) and the CRTC received complaints regarding some of the content and language used on the show. Over the next few years The Howard Stern Show started to slide in the ratings after the initial strong books in Toronto.

Howard lasted a bit over four years on Q but new operations manager John Hayes, pulled the show in November 2001 citing poor ratings and the expense of the program. Hayes came to Corus from the US and was a turn around guy to help under performing radio stations and companies. He was General Manager for WNBC and also helped to turn Fairmont Communications around as President. Corus Radio back in this era was Canada's largest radio broadcasting company in terms of revenue and audience ratings. 

Anyone have any thoughts on Sterns time on Canadian radio? Personally I never really liked him, he constantly talked about himself and his act to me grew stale pretty quick. I never really considered him an announcer but more of an entertainer that you might see on the Vegas strip. 

I don't listen to him even though I have satellite radio, but I am going to. I understand he is a lot better now, much humbler and more mature. And he has gotten away somewhat from all of the potty talk that made him famous.  But to his credit he does bring in great personalities to interview and he is a survivor,  one of the giants in radio for decades. He also is a good guest when he appears occasionally on one of the late night talk shows.

 

September 2, 2019 2:46 pm  #2


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

never a stern fan, i listened to a few shows and quickly grew tired of how juvenile it all was. the final nail in the coffin was 10 minute ad breaks..  the Rev & Joe over on CHTZ were far superior.

 

September 2, 2019 4:29 pm  #3


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

Good point splunge. I forgot about the huge commercial breaks. I didn't realize at the time that American radio had such long breaks. Also I was naive about Stern and just assumed he would play some music on his show. After all it was the mighty Q! The never ending talk surprised me and if you weren't really interested in what he was ranting about, it was a turn off. Once heard him making fun of Don Imus whose WFAN morning show was syndicated on MSNBC. He kept bragging about his ratings vs Imus for about 20 minutes and I thought at the time why would anyone in Toronto find this interesting?

     Thread Starter
 

September 2, 2019 7:24 pm  #4


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

splunge wrote:

never a stern fan, i listened to a few shows and quickly grew tired of how juvenile it all was. the final nail in the coffin was 10 minute ad breaks..  the Rev & Joe over on CHTZ were far superior.

The last time I listened to Howard Stern was the day after John Denver died. They were making fun of his death! I never listened to him again.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

September 2, 2019 10:19 pm  #5


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

At the time Stern aired in Canada, you could listen to him live on WBUF. Q107 aired the show on a rather lengthy 15-20 minute delay probably to appease the CRTC and any listeners with overly sensitive ears who might be offended.

 

September 2, 2019 10:20 pm  #6


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

I was listening to Stern in the car when the 9/11 attacks happened. Skip ahead to 2:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GFnnWJieKg

 

September 2, 2019 10:45 pm  #7


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

CBSC decision on Stern's comments (PDF) about the french being "peckerheads" and "jackoffs".  It's a very detailed document with multiple pages of policy explanations prior to the facts surrounding the complaint.  Apparently letters to the CBSC started coming in on Sept. 3, 1997!

 

September 3, 2019 8:13 pm  #8


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

Stern is even more risque then  when on terrestrial radio. You will not find it enjoyable if you think he has cleaned up his broadcasts. Be warned. 

 

September 3, 2019 8:53 pm  #9


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

I have an old cassette tape somewhere with Howard Stern yelling "I'M NOT CALLING MY STATION SHOME...IT'S CHOM AND THAT'S THAT!! 

"We are also on Q in Toronto...see that's easy...it's not Cleh, it's not Cloooooo It's CUE..."

Stern never should have aired in Montreal in the first place. 

Another quote from Stern on his first day in the Toronto and Montreal markets:
"OH we're supposed to KEEP the french audience. Nobody told me! HA HA HA HA!!"
 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

September 3, 2019 9:37 pm  #10


Re: 1997 Sept 2nd Howard lands in town!

What about the "it's an on-air persona" defense? Not applicable here?