Howard Stern is known for his vulgar and often obscene radio show, but few people realize that he is actually an insecure family man devoted to those in his inner circle.

This self-proclaimed “King of All Media” is a rare commodity: a celebrity who actually lives up to the hype. After sucessfully tackling radio, film, television and writing, Stern made the unprecedented decision to jump into satellite radio. It paid off in a big way, as have nearly all of Stern's forays into media. What is it that makes this man tick?

Behind the Image

The casual Howard Stern listener will more than likely find himself swimming in a sea of profanity, vulgarity, and outright obscenity. So will the diehard fan, but a true loyal listener also knows the softer side of Stern- a likeable family man devoted to his children, parents and fiancé Beth Ostrosky.

Though much of Stern’s show is centered around porn stars, strippers and lesbians, Stern remains doggedly faithful to those within his inner circle, despite his almost endearing teenage boy-esque fantasies of a forbidden fruit that is now most certainly within his grasp.

Even when discussing his parents and their sometimes questionable methods of child-rearing, Stern’s love and respect for them is palpable. A recent story on his mother examining him for pinworms was particularly telling, as Stern related his mortification and disgust, but in the same breath defended and justified her actions.

One of the underlying currents of the show is Stern’s self-deprecating humor. He often jokes about his ineptness with women, his small penis, and his insecurities. It’s through these stories that listeners are offered glimpses into the real Howard Stern, a man with the same issues and concerns as anyone else.

King of All Media is No Exaggeration

Stern has, in fact, conquered all media. He’s not kidding. Stern was so successful on radio (or terrestrial radio as he calls it) that his show was syndicated and broadcasted all over the country by Infinity Broadcasting.

Stern has also written two books, one which he then adapted into the screenplay for the highly successful feature film “Private Parts.” As for the small screen, Stern has also developed several television shows including an E! Entertainment show that was a nightly behind-the-scenes documentary of his radio show, and a variety show which aired on New York City's WWOR-TV.

The Beginning of the … Beginning

People began to take notice of Howard Stern, and not all of them were fans. In March 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Infinity Broadcasting for airing what they deemed to be “graphic and explicit" on-air discussions that were part of the Howard Stern Show. Shortly thereafter, the FCC also fined Clear Channel, who in turn, suspended their syndication of Stern’s shows on its stations. But this was not to be the end of Howard Stern.

Stern launched a full-scale war on the FCC and their censorship of his right to freedom of speech. Stern confronted FCC chairman Michael Powell with a phone call during a segment on San Francisco's KGO-AM 810, and coined the phrase “F the FCC” which soon developed into a catchphrase used by millions of his loyal listeners.

Said Stern in an interview with the Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, "Look, this is not all about the F-word and indecency. This is about thoughts and ideas. The government is now in the process of racketeering against radio stations." If the stations "don't kowtow and bow on these fines, they slow down the approval process on them buying radio stations."

The Show Must Go On

After much deliberation and nearly $2 million in fines, Stern made the unprecedented decision to leave terrestrial radio and move to satellite. On January 9, 2006, the Howard Stern Show began broadcasting on Sirius Satellite Radio, effectively introducing and turning millions of people on to satellite radio.

According to the New York Post, [January 10, 2007] when Stern signed his deal with Sirius in October 2004, analysts projected the company would end 2006 with about 3.5 million subscribers. Sirius ended 2006 with just over 6 million subscribers. Thus continues Stern’s domination of all things media.

The Real Stern

Stern is admittedly cocky, though many would say deservedly so. But as with much of Stern’s show, there is always another angle. Says Stern, “The arrogance comes from a tremendous insecurity. I'm the guy who can't bear to have anyone not come with us to satellite. You know, How can you leave me? How can everyone in the world not be listening to me? I have this delusion." [Washington Post, December 11, 2005.]

Despite his insecurities and unflagging self deprecation, Stern remains one of the most powerful and influential men of the century. As noted in Wikipedia, in 2006, Howard Stern was elected into Time Magazine's "Time 100: The People Who Shape Our World” and was ranked #7 in Forbes Magazine's 2006 annual Celebrity 100.