The Scoop

The Howard Stern Show, hosted by the self proclaimed "King of All Media," enjoys the largest audience for any morning radio talk show, estimated at as many as 17 million listeners each morning. His content has always pushed the boundaries of taste, expression, and what listeners have come to expect from morning drive-time radio. The program includes anything from interviews about his celebrity guests' drug use to a contest for the right to have sex with a porn star to bawdy exchanges with Playboy and Penthouse centerfolds. Surrounded by colorful characters such as sidekick Robin Quivers, producer Gary "Baba-Booey" Dell'Abate and flunky "Stuttering John" Melendez, Stern broadcasts his nationally syndicated show from the studios of WXRK in New York City. Howard has used the radio show as a springboard into other lucrative ventures: his autobiography Private Parts and the hit movie based upon it, his TV shows on the E! Network and CBS, and a myriad of other media ventures.

Getting Hired

Perhaps the best way to break into the close-knit Stern crew is an internship with the show. Howard usually employs approximately 18 interns, each serving a 12-week stint with the show. Interns work in production (where they serve as gofers and are exposed to every part of the show) or News (where they scan AP copy, research stories, edit sound tape, and assist in the organization of the newscast). While they may perform menial tasks like getting Howard's lunch, they also enjoy exposure to celebrities and opportunities to get on the air. Stern also periodically holds "Intern Beauty Contests," where his female interns compete for a cavalcade of fabulous prizes. All interns are interviewed by Cathy Tobin, who "is the de facto office manager, and runs the nuts and bolts of the operation, as well as the history of Howard." Interesting fact: Cathy is "the only person directly hired by Howard."

Our Survey Says

Surveying the KROCK landscape

What's it like working at the Howard Stern show? The best way to know what life is like at KROCK is to take a survey of the landscape - that is, the lively personalities that inhabit the Howard Stern show.

Howard Stern:

Howard is more than the focus of the country's most popular syndicated radio program - he is the leader of a rabid cult-like following that unites very disparate elements of American society. "People are obsessed with Howard Stern," comments an awestruck former intern. "They are obsessed with his power and controversy - the fact that he has made so many [different kinds of] people listen. With Howard, everyone listens. People are mesmerized by him." Interns who have had regular contact with him are no less impressed than the audience: "I was on the air several times," says one. "He has an incredibly intelligent way of interviewing you. If he can talk to you about bizarre sexual encounters or anything that [for instance] truck drivers will like, he will." But there is more to the story than the on-air personality so familiar to morning radio listeners. "Howard has an dichotomous split [between] id and ego. He has two personalities that he has full command of. When he is with people, he has one place for being a jerk. It is for entertainment's sake, and it's become an exaggeration, but being a jerk is all Howard. He goes far because it's what viewers want. He pushes the envelope [on the air]."

For example, insiders report, some of Stern's infamous celebrity feuds are artificially played up for entertainment value. (One intern speculates that Richard Simmons, for example, has as much to gain from the public feud between him and Howard as Others are genuine, however: "Regis and Kathy Lee truly hate Howard. One of the interns once yelled at Regis, 'Howard rules!' and Regis gave him the finger."

Robin Quivers:

Interns assert that they have a hard time getting a read on Robin, as "she is kind of stand-offish." Still, "she was always pretty nice to me," concedes one.

Gary Dell'Abate:

While Howard may be of a dual nature on and off the air, producer Baba Booey's persona as the frumpy, often put-upon butt of show jokes is no act. "His big teeth are the core of the show," says a former intern. "They took a publicity snapshot of him and focused on his teeth. He really hates that." As right-hand man to a demanding boss, "Sometimes he gets really pissed off and fights with Howard. Howard never apologizes to him, though. Neither does Robin." That tension is at times redirected toward the interns: "I found him very condescending and a pain in the ass," says one. "During the show there's no time for yelling, [but] he finds the time. He freaked out a lot." As a result, "the interns have to kiss his ass."

Fred Norris:

Among on-air personalities, insiders say that Fred Norris is to the Stern show what George Harrison was to the Beatles. "He's a very nice, cool guy. He would always say 'hey' when we passed in the hall," says a source. "But for the first couple of weeks I didn't know who he was. I thought he was just some guy wearing sweatpants." Another intern says that Fred is "better-looking on [the E! show] than in person."

Jackie Martling:

Regular Stern listeners have come to know that the Joke Man "seems really into his own advancement." Comments a former intern on the standup comedian: "He isn't any funnier than the rest of them, but he's on the show, so that's how he gets by."

John Melendez:

Interns report that behind the scenes, Stuttering John is perhaps the least popular member of the Stern crew. Notes one, "He is constantly being ballbusted by everyone. Howard is always saying, 'What do I pay you for? Benji [the E! producer] does more than you.'" The intern staff is equally dubious about John's contribution to the show: "John basically got lucky. He has a speech impediment and he doesn't do that much. No one would have ever listened to his CD [if he weren't on the show] - he would just be some random guy."

Scott the Engineer

"Scott's a grumpy man, a defeated man," laughs an intern. "He's been there for 15 years and has taken a lot of shit." All that abuse makes Scott a person who takes some getting used to: "I didn't like him at first, but by the end of the four months I got to know where he's coming from." Like Stuttering John, his work ethic is somewhat questionable. Says a source: "He's got his DJ thing on the side, so I don't think he works too hard at the Stern show." This has led to some "classic exchanges between Gary and Scott. When Gary's with Howard, Gary's a second-class citizen. So he thinks he's the shit [when dealing] with Scott. They're not even joking or doing it for the cameras - they really don't like each other."

K.C. Armstrong:

Muscle-bound writer K.C. is another regular target for Stern and company's barbs. "They're constantly making fun of him because [they think] he's gay," a source tells Vaultreports.com. "[But] he doesn't seem gay. He never looks at any of the interns, but he has a regular male guy vibe. He has had one or two long-term girlfriends. I think it's more likely that Ralph [Howard Stern's assistant] is gay than K.C."

The E! crew:

"They're just a bunch of regular schmoes," a former intern says. "I think they are all frightened [of the possibility that] Howard could go off the air in a couple of years."

Employment Contact

Cathy Tobin

Key Competitors

Imus in the Morning (WFAN);Z Morning Zoo (Z100); Morning Edition (NPR)

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