Howard Stern: Pay to Hear Him, Pay to See Him

From Jeff Jarvis:

Howard Stern announced this morning that he’s going to air his TV show — which just went off E! — on cable via paid In Demand Networks once he starts on Sirius in January. Fans will get unlimited access to Stern video for another monthly fee. FMQB has the details.

The FCC and the church ladies made this happen. E! said it could no longer air Stern for fear of regulation (read: censorship). The last safe haven from the nannies is to run behind a pay wall.

Now you have to pay for free speech in America.

People who watched Howard Stern’s show on cable channel E! (video highlights of his radio show) had to pay for basic cable. But now they will have to pay on top of that.

Howard Stern right now is on broadcast radio, but he’s moving to satellite radio in 2006 in face of FCC fines for alleged indecency.

The FCC doesn’t regulate the content of satellite radio, and so Howard Stern will be free to use expletives after he moves to satellite radio.

Regarding the move to pay-per-view cable: the FCC doesn’t regulate the content of cable television. However, Howard Stern often interviews strippers on his E! show, and by custom, nudity on basic cable (but not pay-per-view) is pixillated.

More at the previous SpeakSpeak News article, Howard Stern: Will Fans Have to Pay to See or Hear Him?