Howard Stern fans are used to shocks on the morning show, but yesterday may have been the rudest awakening ever.
Instead of tuning in to find the New York-based radio personality discussing body hair or breasts, or praying that the head of the FCC would die of brain cancer, there was nothing but "pure rock," traffic and weather reports where Stern once reigned from 6 to roughly 10 a.m. on KEGL/97.1 FM.
Although KEGL had acknowledged that the station would not renew his contract, scheduled to expire on Sept. 5, there was no warning that Friday would be Stern's last day.
Yesterday's Stern shortage prompted a flurry of dial-hopping and button-pushing among grieving fans here.
"I'm nearly 50 years old, and I'm having withdrawal," said Burleson video store employee Carolyn Bennett.
If Stern isn't on her radio, her radio won't be on, Bennett said.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "I mean, I won't listen to radio any more."
A source at KEGL confirmed that the decision to discontinue Stern's show early was precipitated by several days of escalating on-air warfare between Stern and the station, but an executive with the company that owns the station said he wishes Stern well, sniping notwithstanding.
"Our decision is based on strategic information that we've got," said Clancy Woods, vice president of KEGL owner Nationwide Communications. "The assumption that we're making a decision based on content is ludicrous."
The battle peaked last week when Stern's right-hand man, "Stuttering John" Melendez, was escorted from the KEGL studios by police and security guards after he flew to Dallas and tried to gain access to the station's board operator, ostensibly to conduct an interview.
The next day, Melendez and fellow Stern cohort Crackhead Bob conducted a rally in support of the show in downtown Dallas.
Ironically, both events were aired live on the station that was slated to dump him.
It has been rumored that another area station would pick up the Stern show, with speculation running high in favor of a jump to KDGE/94.5 FM, which has an alternative-rock format and no high-profile drive-time show in the morning.
KDGE announced yesterday that it had set up a hot line to record listener comment on the Stern affair and urged listeners to stay tuned for more information.
"I will tell you this: Listen to the station," said KDGE Program Director Joel Folger, declining to comment further.
A call to Stern's agent was not returned, but KEGL public relations director Audrey Wager confirmed that the station will pay Stern for the remainder of his contract.
"The response," said Wager, characterizing listener response, "has been confusion."
It was certainly a blue Monday for fans such as the caller who left a voice mail message at the 'Star-Telegram.'
"I'm a 40-something woman with 'lots' of disposable income," said the unidentified woman. "The only way I got through my commute every morning was with Howard. I'm just furious; just furious."
Meanwhile, the termination left Stern on just one Texas radio station, Austin's KJFK/98.9 FM, which has carried him on its all-talk format for about a year.
KJFK general sales manager Daryl O'Neal said the station began getting calls from Fort Worth-Dallas Stern fans yesterday morning; many requested to be put on "hold" so that they could listen to the program while they waited to find out whether the station puts its programming on the Internet. It doesn't, O'Neal said, adding that there was facetious talk of setting up a 900 number to feed Stern's show to callers who wanted to pay for it.
The KJFK signal does, however, reach the Hillsboro area, O'Neal said.
The Stern show has been good for his station, O'Neal said, countering the notion that it takes a uniquely gifted sales staff to peddle the sometimes controversial product.
"Revenuewise, he's been great. Billing is up 38 to 40 percent over last year for the station," he said. "We have no problem selling him here. Something doesn't fit here."
Irate callers flooded Stern in New York, according to a Web page (http://www.marksfriggin.com/) devoted to the broadcaster.
"Howard said that if he had thought ahead he would have told the listeners to wear black armbands and drive around with their headlights on like they're going to a funeral," the Web page said.
This article was in the July 29, 1997, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.
Updated: 29-July-1997
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