Stern mixes sentiment, raunchiness in signoff

On the last day of his two-decade-long terrestrial radio show, Howard Stern declared himself free. But if you want to hear much of anything else he has to say, it will cost you about $13 per month on satellite radio.

The 51-year-old radio shock jock on Friday bid a fond, funny and at times sentimental farewell to his estimated daily drive-time audience of 12 million listeners who made Stern a top-rated program in big city markets from coast to coast. He now moves to Sirius Satellite Radio, where his new show -- unfettered by the threat of government regulation -- is slated to begin Jan. 9.

Stern’s final words on traditional radio were delivered outside his old studios on a chilly and wet New York day, where a crowd of thousands had congregated, tying up traffic in midtown Manhattan for hours. The self-declared King of All Media told the throngs of cheering fans that he deeply appreciated their support throughout the years of controversy that had made him the most heavily fined radio broadcaster in American history.

“I want to thank everyone here who has the same sick, infantile sense of humor that I do,” said Stern known for his sophomoric take on various body functions. “Let the freedom bell be rung, and let it be rung by a stripper!” (A theme echoed by Sirius’ ubiquitous billboards for Stern’s new satellite show).

Long a target of the Federal Communications Commission for indecency, Stern also used his farewell platform to jab back at the government agency that has dogged him since 1987.

“I refused to bow down,” said Stern, who also called the religious right “the American Taliban.” “Our radio show has been fired, suspended, fined millions, but we stood our ground.”

Before addressing the crowd outside, Stern spent much of the morning thanking friends and family on the air and also revisiting memorable moments from the show -- something he’d been doing for weeks as he literally counted down the days to his departure to satellite radio. In the studio for his last moments were his parents, his sister and his three daughters.

Despite the sentimentality, the morning was still packed with the kind of stunts that transformed Stern into a pop icon and a lightning rod for criticism for two decades. Stern gave away tens of thousands of dollars in cash, set up a member of the audience on a date with a porn actress and played one last round of “butt bongo,” in which a show regular spanked a naked woman.

In addition to Stern, members of his so-called Wack Pack -- the carnival-like cast of characters that included stutterers, little people and the mentally impaired who regularly contributed to the show -- also spoke to the crowd. One of them compared the gathering to Woodstock and the “Los Angeles riots.”

“I’m fat, ugly and I’m balding. It’s 11 in the morning and let’s face it, I’m drunk,” said Artie Lange, Stern’s sidekick for the last several years, addressing the outdoor crowd. “We’re like the island of misfit toys.”

Moments later, Lange invited the crowd to join him at a screening of “Brokeback Mountain,” the critically acclaimed film about thwarted passion between two cowboys.

Along with the traditional media, the Howard 100 news team -- from one of the two channels Stern oversees at Sirius -- covered the event live. In reporting on his final words, the show’s anchors continually referred to their namesake as “defiant” and a great talent who was now leaving “boring old terrestrial radio behind.”

One of the channel’s reporters interviewed comedian Joan Rivers, an occasional guest on Stern’s old show: “It made me very sad,” Rivers said, referring to Stern’s departure. “Because it is the end of an era.”

After the show wrapped up, the party continued at the Hard Rock Cafe, where rocker Sheryl Crow performed. Shortly before the music began, domestic diva Martha Stewart, who already has her own show on Sirius, welcomed Stern to his new home.

“I want to welcome Howard as my friend and neighbor,” Stewart said.

“Honey, we’ll finally be together,” replied Stern, who frequently made fun of Stewart’s recent time in jail.