Ever since I was thirteen years old, around 1969, I made my business to listen to all the radio talk shows on WMCA in New York City and its tri state area. I always liked variety so I also listened to some FM radio programming for its music including college radio as well and independents such as WBAI. All of my friends told me about this morning radio guy called Don Imus on WNBC radio in New York. I gave the guy a listen and wondered what was going on over there. Don Imus was the only game in town if you liked to hear one hour of ok radio that included one sketch and a few words by this so called self proclaimed giant of the airwaves. I am not one for snap judgments so I listened for about a month and jumped to a conclusion. The guy would air one hour of his style of programming and repeat that same hour every hour after. His bits included a thing called Moby Worm. Moby Worm was I guess a giant worm that blew up the local schools on the air. Imus would get requests to have a school blown up and he would say “Nuke em” or something to that effect and would play a cheap sound effect. Ten there was the Reverend Billy Saul Hargus, Imus’s main character. His theme was “I don’t care if it rains or freezes,” a song that was made popular in the movie ‘Cool Hand Luke.” The reason I bring this up is to show how unoriginal he was back in the day, but as I said he was the only game in town, that is until Howard Stern came in from Washington.
I remember the first airing of the Stern Show in 1980. Now, remember, Imus has been on the air for at least ten years so his die hard fans who really never heard any kind of good radio were hearing Stern for the first time. Howard would try is hardest to meet and get along with the aging D.J., with no avail. Imus would not agree to meet with the new kid on the block like a spoiled brat who didn’t want to share his toys.
The rating would tell is Howard would be staying or leaving and the results were in. His ratings were at least four times higher then the so called icon which clearly was the beginning of Don’s demise.
When Stern was fired after a few year stint with NBC, fighting tooth and nail the whole time he was there to get his good idea’s aired he went on to write two books and even write and star in a move about his days at the AM radio station. Later that year that station was sold and changed to an all sports station. Imus was still on the air and now doing sports.
My point in all of this is a simple one. Mr. Howard Stern went on to FM radio and a very long stay that was at WXRK better known as KROCK in New York. His guest list was unsurpassed and his comedy was impeccable. Imus was still on the air somewhere as well on television, cable television where everyone and their mom had a show. Imus was barely seen or heard while Howard was making every year in the public eye better then the previous one.
Howard ended his contract with KROCK and decided to go Sirius Satellite Radio. Now Howard could be as creative as he needed to be and unleash his command of the funny to his public. His incite to the future of radio would indeed pay off. As for Don Imus, he is still around somewhere but as all the news channels would indicate, not for long. It seems that Don would say something as he always did but this time it didn’t go on unnoticed. Howard, being in his prime of life still has a lot of years ahead do display his comedy but Imus, well, the man is past retirement age and should go away gracefully and just fade into the sunset cowboy hat and all.
Many people know that Howard Stern is indeed the King of all media, but Imus would have you believe that he was the model for all radio talk show hosts that came after him. One more comparison is that Howard does a lot of racial jokes that are funny aiming the jokes towards all the people. Imus used his hateful bigotry and thinks he is being funny. Well sirs, one will be heard on the airwaves and the other will just fade away to a place he should have gone to years ago.
