Howard Stern to Retain Media Throne

The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" has agreed to continue his working relationship with Infinity Broadcasting and its parent corporation, Viacom. The weeks and days leading up to the final agreement have been filled with an ongoing public exchange between Stern and Viacom president and COO Mel Karmazin. Many believe the public and sometimes-extravagant forum for the "negotiations" was simply a Stern-esque publicity ploy, intended to pull his gullible listeners into the excitement. Stern and Karmazin have both denied staging the negotiating process and all parties now seem satisfied with the outcome.

Viacom is reportedly paying the Shock Jock $18 million for each year of his five-year deal. Stern has explained that his new contract will allow him the flexibility to explore new projects and media, such as his budding television comedy series, "Son of the Beach," which airs on the F/X cable network. Although often lauded for his creative and comedic genius, Stern is never far from controversy and has almost as many critics as he does fans. Stern has hinted about turning his energies once again to the big screen, where he found success with his autobiographical portrayal of himself in "Private Parts," which followed Howard’s book of the same title.

At a time when many entertainers his age are searching for a new identity or lightening their workload, Stern has continued to push the envelope for the radio industry and has crossed media barriers with unparalleled success. Fans and critics alike are now set to enjoy or endure five more years of Stern’s genius or ignorance, depending on their perspective.