Definitely an "interesting bit of news":http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040225/media_clearchannel_stern_2.html. There are two things at work here that annoy me about this. First off is the new "zero-tolerence" policies of "Clear Channel(Press release in PDF format)":http://www.clearchannel.com/documents/press_releases/2004_02_25_CC_Decency_Initiative.pdf and "Viacom":http://zfmq.fimc.net/Article.asp?id=19523. This is all due of course to "boobie-gate":http://www.fleshbot.com/archives/janet_jackson_exposed.php, and the new moral standard that politicians are clamoring for in the absence of doing something useful, like maybe finding out about Iraq pre-war intelligence, or investigating the "Valerie Plame matter":http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_02_22.html#002605. I have said it before, and I'll say it again: it is not the media's job to raise your kids, people... it's yours. Quit trying to pawn them off on everyone else, "take some responsibility":http://www.loonyboi.com/blog/archives/000328.php for monitoring what your kids watch and listen to, and be active in their lives. Sure, when you "got knocked up(The Onion | Pregnant Woman Acting Like No One Ever Got Pregnant Before)":http://www.theonion.com/news.php?i=1&n=3 you didn't think that it would actually require work on your end, but sorry; it does.

The second thing, and bear with me on this one, is the relationship between Clear Channel and President bush (note the upper-case "P" and lower-case "b"... respect the office, not the man). There is absolutely no question about the seedy relationship between "CC and bush":http://www.google.com/search?q=%22clear+channel%22+%22president+bush%22. In recent weeks, I've noticed Stern shifting from his previously unwavering support of bush; probably in no small part due to the FCC's stringent and vague new definitions of obscenity. He recently "reviewed Al Franken's book":http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/31420 on the air, and even just yesterday in talking about bush was saying "...it's time for him to go. You'll be a one-term loser like your father." We already know that this is an amazingly vindictive administration, outing CIA operatives and "already-out gay journalists":http://gaytoday.com/events/072103ev.asp left and right as payback for anything less than unquestioning support of policies, so it's not much of a stretch to think that CC, either because of a phonecall or maybe even just trying to be a go-getter political lackey decided to pull the plug on Stern.

However it came about, I still have ways to hear what he has to say about it this morning. My feeling is he'll be out of his job at Viacom and on to satellite radio within 6 months.

*Update:* Apparently I'm not the only person with this same wild theory. Check out "this Salon piece":http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/04/stern/index.html which draws pretty much the same conclusion that I did.