Burning Stern

-- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/27/2000

The shock jock who gets his jollies taunting dwarves and women is facing his own public skewering. Howard Stern, his ratings falling by double digits in New York, Los Angeles and other cities where his radio show airs, is feeling his own pain, according to the December issue of Details magazine.

What happened? Stern's recent breakup with Allison, his wife of 20 years, has made him considerably less intriguing-just a dirty old man, according to the magazine-and his audience is either moving beyond his brand of humor (that is, growing up) or going for young upstarts like Opie and Anthony. Stern's contract with Infinity Broadcasting is up at the end of December, and, suddenly, he's seemingly not as hot as he used to be.