New York
Taking the airwaves to the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey, performed with flatulence, Howard Stern made his much-anticipated satellite radio debut this week. Free of FCC regulations for the first time in his career, the shock jock used the F-word 68 times in his first broadcast, according to Familymediaguide.com. The watchdog group also counted 34 A-holes, 17 C-words (male), and 10 C-words (female). Stern’s show is a major test for the budding satellite radio industry. Since Stern signed with Sirius, the service has nearly tripled its subscriber base to 3.3 million. Sirius this week announced that in addition to the $500 million it is already paying Stern for five years, the new subscriptions he has brought in triggered a stock bonus to Stern worth $220 million.
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