The Jokeman passing on his contract destroyed his career for sure, but in the interim, the show started to decline a bit. Artie finally came in after all the horrible chair tryouts and it shot up for a bit. Artie goes down the addict slide saying fuck all to everything, Stern knows after a bit he's fucked, but figures he doesn't need that chair filled. He switches up his political rhetoric so he doesn't get cancelled by the mob, quits goofing on all the Wack Pack and their disabilities by cleaning up the name calling and his relentless verbal abuse. He virtually gaslights everyone by somehow making his past all but forgotten. No black face, no politically incorrect name calling, not body shaming or life shaming celebrities...everyone and everything is forgotten. He apologizes to almost everyone he ever wronged for his own fame as if all of it never happened. Suddenly, with a few big name/power interviews, a new book that wasn't the same old Howard shit, he's suddenly Barbara Walters. Every so often he'd danced with a bit with the bathroom or off color humor, but it seemed forced. By then his schedule was sporadic and short, so the show writing was more focused and not rushed; not to mention his guests were even bigger and flowing over. This is the timeline I remember and it all came down to self-preservation, he could still be controversial and play the prick, but this time to the right. It was a smart choice, he still had a 50-50 pull of listeners he could offend or who would bow to the King. One thing, say what you will, Stern isn't a stupid man.
This new bullshit about his contract, it's all bullshit, it's theater for the simple minded. Howard has a vested interest in not only himself and his narcissism, but also in SiriusXM. He was going to sign all along, is this the first time anyone has seen this fuckhead's game play? Is there really interest from HBO, Netflix, or any other competitor, maybe, but not Howard money. He's not longer a leader or innovator, he's a fucking cuck to his own ego. He's staying right where he is for at least 2-3 years.
Howard Stern Show 'to be canceled' after nearly 20 years on SiriusXM
Moderator: Metal Sludge