The Howard Stern show premiered on Sirius satellite radio yesterday. For those that have been living under a rock, Stern made the move to satellite because he was fed up with the restrictions of traditional terrestrial radio. The thought of uncensored Stern might frighten some people, but after listening to the first show, it really isn’t all that much different. Sure, instead of saying “the F-word,” he throws in the occasional “f*ck,” but Stern himself said that he doesn’t want the format to revolve around curse words, which just get boring with overuse.
The show’s new announcer is George Takei (Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek), who will be serving as the “voice of the Howard Stern show.” Aside from being openly gay, Takei has a pretty good sense of humor and seems to fit in well with the rest of the cast.
The show had some technical difficulties early on, feedback and such, but after a few minutes, the show sounded fine. The content was traditional Stern – the highlight being the “revelations” – each member of the show admitted to one shocking thing they’ve done (or had done to them). Stern read the revelations and, in a week, he’ll reveal which revelation applies to which cast member. Considering some of the subject matter (cheating on your wife and getting caught, masturbating in a closet while family members go to the bathroom, waking up in the hospital after having your stomach pumped, only to find a same-sex acquaintance fondling your genitals) the revelations should provide some good material next week.
All in all, it’s good to hear Howard with the freedom he’s always wanted. Only time will tell if this move will be a good one for Stern, but so far, it sounds like he’s rejuvenated and energized, and ready to conquer a new medium.
