Howard Stern Continues to Offend Twin Cities
Billboard Campaign is Latest Blast of Tastelessness from 'Shock Jock'

You don't even have to watch or listen to Howard Stern to be offended by him, thanks to a new billboard campaign in the Twin Cities area.

Despite low ratings and advertiser defections, WCCO-TV continues to air the vulgar "Howard Stern Radio Show." Stern had predicted that his TV program would draw a larger audience than either FOX's "Mad TV" or NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Instead, he has routinely drawn about half the ratings of the FOX program, and a quarter the audience of "Saturday Night Live."

Stern's morning radio program is also continuing in the Twin Cities market on the radio station Rock 100. The radio show features patently offensive discussions of sexual anatomy and behavior.

Late last year the radio station launched a billboard campaign for Stern's program. The billboards feature a woman in a black bra top with the slogan, "Turn on Howard." The suggestive campaign was drawing about 15 complaint calls per day, station vice president Andy Bloom told the Star Tribune's Cheryl Johnson. One caller threatened to vandalize one of the 115 "Turn on Howard" billboards - and apparently followed through on the threat.

Stern has been successfully driven out of some markets by activists who dried up his advertising support. Without sponsors, TV and radio stations can't afford to continue airing his program.

In the Twin Cities in November and December, Stern's sponsors included:

339-WORK (TV)
Advanced Wireless Communications (Radio)
America's Best - Contacts and Eye Glasses (TV)
Ban deodorant (TV)
Body Fantasies soap (TV)
Brew & Grow (Radio)
Budweiser Beer (Radio)
Car X (TV)
CBS (TV)
Chia Pet (TV)
Déjà vu (TV)
Dirt Devil (TV)
Disney (TV)
Flexall (TV)
Free Party USA (TV)
Jacks Bar and Grill (Radio)
Maaco (TV)
Mattress Giant (TV)
Miller beer (TV)
Prescott & Pearson P A (TV)
Schmelz Countryside Volkswagen (Radio)
Sprint (TV)
Tappe Construction (Radio)
The People Store (TV)
The Tonight Line (Radio)
The Vineyard (TV)
Trojan condoms (TV)
WCCO TV (TV)
Wind Song perfume by Prince Matchabelli (TV)

It should be noted that broadcast advertisers often buy commercials by time slot rather than by show, and some may be inadvertently sponsoring Stern's programs. Several advertisers contacted by the Minnesota Family Council said they were unaware that their ads were being placed in Stern's program, and promised to request that their ads not be used to sponsor Howard Stern.

Minnesota Family Council / Minnesota Family Institute
2855 Anthony Lane South, Minneapolis MN, 55418-3265
phone 612.789.8811, fax 612.789.8858, www.mfc.org