by Al Brumley
Howard Stern fans awoke to a shock Monday morning.
"The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1) dropped Mr. Stern's show six weeks before his contract was to expire, angering and bewildering many of his fans. He joined the Eagle in September 1992.
"The show wasn't on today because the decision was made Friday that we should all go and do our own thing," station spokeswoman Audrey Wager said Monday. "Basically because enough is enough. It's time to go on."
Mr. Stern acknowledged that he and his agent learned about the decision Friday. "I feel bad," he said in an interview Monday. "I lost a big market. I got hosed by a company that isn't really into radio."
In Mr. Stern's place Monday was rock music with no disc jockey. Ms. Wager said KEGL received hundreds of calls - most negative but some positive - and received "a few" threats.
Nationwide Communications Inc., which owns KEGL, confirmed on July 11 that Mr. Stern's contract would not be renewed when it expired Sept. 5.
Last week, Mr. Stern sent two of his show's regulars - "Stuttering John" Melendez and Crackhead Bob - to Dallas for a "prayer vigil" on the grassy knoll. Mr. Melendez also tried to enter the KEGL studio but was escorted out by an Irving police officer.
Clancy Woods, Nationwide's vice president of radio for western operations, said such moves, plus comments made by Mr. Stern, played into the decision to cut the show off early and pay off the contract. "Well, you know, when the focus of the show becomes the contractual issues between Nationwide and Howard, I don't think there's a lot in it for the listener," he said.
Ratings and revenues are just part of the picture, he said. "What also influences that [decision] are the type of capabilities that we have as a radio station in Dallas, the cost, the economics of it - those things all factor into it."
Mr. Woods said Mr. Stern has been free to negotiate with other stations since March. "And I would suggest that if Howard is going to treat people that he has contractual arrangements with like this, you know ... I wonder if this would be some cause for alarm."
Mr. Stern said he doesn't know of any other Dallas-area stations interested in his show. He repeated his assertions that he has tripled the morning revenues at KEGL and that no other stations carrying his show have trouble selling ads.
Many fans said Monday they could not understand Nationwide's decision.
Kay Craft of Dallas said she is a longtime fan of Mr. Stern's show. "I'm 37 years old, I have a college degree, I work professionally, I make a lot of money, and I listen to Howard every single day," she said. "I tape him when I can't listen in the office. ... I am a mother, I am a Christian, I am not the typical person that people think listen to Howard. I get him - I totally get that it's all a goof. He's hysterical, and I'm just crushed."
Mr. Stern said that to help prevent this from happening in other markets, listeners must "support our sponsors to the point of fanaticism. Let our advertisers know that not only will you support them, you will give them blind support. Listen to every commercial, and buy their product."
At least one Dallas station tried to gain some publicity from Mr. Stern's departure.
"The Edge" KDGE-FM (94.5), long rumored as a possible new home for Mr. Stern's show, opened a "Howard Stern Hotline" on Monday for people "to call and voice their feelings," as general manager Tom Glade put it.
The station said that beginning Tuesday it would give updates on Mr. Stern at 7:20 a.m., noon and 5:20 p.m. But Mr. Glade said the "updates" will consist of this message: "I'm Joel Folger, program director of 94.5 The Edge. After listening to hundreds of calls, I can answer the most-often-asked question by saying, 'At this point, no one knows where and if Howard Stern will be on the air in Dallas.' The updates that are being run today are nothing more than an honest invitation for you to continue to listen for great alternative music all day on 94.5 KDGE The Edge."
© 1997 The Dallas Morning News
This article appeared in the Tuesday, July 29, 1997, Dallas Morning News "Overnight" section.
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