The day I wrote the last rant column on the failing of CBS radio's ratings and new radio angle. I heard rumors that CBS may Howard Stern, now I was a little shocked at this situation. Why would someone like CBS sue Howard Stern after he did record advertising numbers for them before he left for his new gig. Plus why would CBS choose to do so now? The answer may surprise you but many believe it was to draw away all the negative attention, CBS was about to get with the decline of ratings for Adam and Dave over at CBS radio. The new “Free FM” which is just a ratings disaster has now been swept from the headlines and the focus is CBS is going after Stern.
Why are they going after Stern, you may ask? They believe that Howard Stern used his time or their airtime they were paying for to promote his new gig at Sirius radio. Some more issues that have been brought about is the issue with Stern apparently has been an issue with getting a massive payoff if he brought in subscribers to the new home of the Howard Stern radio program. I see the point of CBS radio but even if this was not an issue. Most of Stern's crowd would come over to Sirius in order to hear Howard Stern's broadcast. So basically what do you go out and say, “Don't subscribe to my new outlet cause this may cause a lawsuit.”
The next side of this is the issue Stern has with the suit itself, when he called a press conference to take on CBS full boar in the law suit. He says that the suit is a personal vendetta from CBS head man, Les Moonves against Stern himself. Stern says that Les planned on bringing suit against him. However Stern believes that CBS is doing this to drive coverage away from their horrid job with the CBS radio division of the network that has produced such stars as “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Late Night with David Letterman”.
What will happen with all this and when it finally heads to court? CBS radio will sue Howard and may be in for more of a loss of cash than what they say they have already lost to Stern and his new employers. Stern has gotten a new enemy to fight and that is from the FCC to CBS radio. Stern has also gotten some added coverage from the suit, he has gotten to go on TV and radio to trash and talk about the suit and CBS itself. If CBS would have shut up and left Howard alone, that would have left him off the radar in the entertainment and news universe.
Finally, my take on all this is simple, I agree with Howard and that is “Sour grapes”. CBS radio is in the toilet and instead of going out and fixing the issues they have with the company. They figure let's get some cheap run and sue Howard, and in the process drive away the side of radio they should be looking at, and that is CBS radio's horrid division. I believe that if this goes to court, it could and will be thrown out due to CBS radio has given their blessing to the King of All Media on his series of last shows.
[I]-The Jiggy Jaguar-[/I]
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The Jiggy Jaguar Show can be heard Monday Nights on Kjagradio.com
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