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420,
Sirius on 4/24/2010 5:08:43 PM by Rob Barnett
Like millions of us, my stepmom is a lifelong Howard Stern fan. She just sent this photo taken off of Howard TV, airing our in-studio interview from earlier this week. I had the honor of being Howard Stern's guest on his Tuesday, 420 show (scroll to 840a).
Response is coming into My Damn Channel via email, phones, video views, comments, new subscribers, tweets, wall postings, and even a live spotting this afternoon in a clothing store (to complete the surreality). The influx of intense energy all flows back to a man undeniably uniquely qualified to hold the heavyweight title: "King of All Media."
Howard endures as one of the most talented and honest souls alive. He embodies the freedom of speech with every breath. For all who've been fired, laid off, downsized, pink slipped, discharged, axed, or job eliminated...it's hard to imagine speaking truth to power on a live microphone the way Howard has done it for decades.
I first followed Howard Stern on a carrier current, college radio station, 64 WTBU at Boston University. (There's a great scene depicting TBU in "Private Parts.")
If you've ever chased a radio dream, then your college years are likely the last time and place you ever experienced the fear and thrill of exercising your freedom of speech over a live mic.
Primordial FM rock radio stations were created in the late 1960's. Early heroes like Harry Shearer and Steven Clean were blowing minds at places like KPPC in Pasadena, California (which eventually became the world famous KROQ).
The combined forces of original radio talents and pre-corporate rock music created stations throughout the 70s powerful enough to infect audiences with a sense of community, purpose, passion, sex and fun that began to hit the wall around 1980.
I was sitting on the front steps of my apartment on Beacon Street in Boston with Steven Clean and my best friend, Mike Isabella the night Ronald Reagan was elected President. I was 20. I was about to drop out of college and take a full-time job as a rock radio jock at WAAF out in Worcester, Mass. One year later, I had the only radio thrill that came closest to being on Howard's show this week. Lightning struck and we convinced the Rolling Stones to do a private show for our station's fans in 1981 to start up the "Tattoo You" tour.
But, back to Mr. Clean. I'd been Steven's intern for a time at WCOZ in Boston. At that point in his career, Clean had been fired by many of the best radio stations in the country. He was a real life inspiration for the Dr. Johnny Fever character in "WKRP in Cincinnati." Steven was incredibly talented, brilliant, a true music expert and fan...and he was rebellious enough to drive the most patient souls to the edge of their sanity.
Considering the nation's new President, Steven held a joint firmly in my face and said, "See this? This is OVER!"
By the time of Reagan's second term, most radio station managers had a "Just Say No" policy for disc jockeys expressing free thoughts on mic, or taking free reign over any music playlist.
A small number of former radio station program directors shaved their beards, cut their hair, bought expensive suits, and armed themselves with halliburton briefcases filled with blow and bullshit designed to convince every fearful radio exec that they had the only secrets to ratings success, fortune and fame.
Conformity soon became the norm. Tighter playlists made stations sound the same from city-to-city. The job of disc jockey was transforming free thinkers into people paid to read positioning slogans, timechecks and weather forecasts.
In the midst of all this unholy homogenization, Howard Stern began to build a radio show free from the constraints put on most of his competitors. His talent grew on the radio and expanded with every carefully planned new project he launched.
Superfans know that Howard pays homage to legends who came before him like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin. I can't think of another entertainer who has more succesfully won battles with corporate brass than Howard. One of the many surprises about the real man to outsiders is how he maintains his position with grace and wisdom.
No one knows what the next chapter will be for the Stern show in 2011. Assume Howard can see the possible moves on the chess board more clearly than most. As a fan, I'll be following as I have since the beginning. As a business owner, My Damn Channel stands ready to serve The King anytime he calls.
Posted with tags
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South Park on 4/20/2010 7:04:13 AM by Rob Barnett
I just left Howard Stern's studio after an hour-long, on-air interview with the King.
About 2 weeks ago, Collette McLafferty set up an interview on Dr. Blogstein's Radio Happy Hour on Blog Talk Radio. Their interview was supposed to be about My Damn Channel, but they opened with a question about my old life in a thankless job at CBS Radio working to try to figure out how to replace the irreplaceable Howard Stern.
Howard 100 News ran with the story on Sirius on April Fool's Day. Gary Dell'Abate connected to invite me to come in to meet Howard this morning, 420, to tell the untold, true story.
I'd gotten advice from some of my best friends - and from some of Howard's friends about how to handle the situation. Much of it obvious. Tell the truth. Don't weasal. And the hardest advice - don't be long-winded.
Somehow, the minute I walked in LIVE - the mass nerves disappeared and Howard was totally amazing for over an hour.
We talked about the impossible situation he created by quitting radio in 2004 for satellite. I told him that the only person that came out perfectly smelling like a rose...was Howard.
We talked about Jon Stewart, Matt & Trey from South Park, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Chris Rock, David Lee Roth, Adam Carolla, Jimmy Kimmel, Free FM, Harry Shearer, You Suck at Photoshop, and My Damn Channel. He couldn't have been cooler.
Today's show will loop all day on Sirius.
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420 on 4/19/2010 3:31:33 PM by Virginia Reiff
Howard Stern Tuesday, 420, 8:30AM EST. Nuff Said.
Here's what happened from MarksFriggin.com - scroll down to 8:40am.
Posted in
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Donnie Hoyle,
Pilot Season,
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You Suck at Photoshop with tags
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Charles Fisher,
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420 on 4/20/2009 3:09:18 AM by Rob Barnett
420 WARNING: THIS COULD HURT
First 2 episodes premiering NOW.
Register on the My Damn Channel home page & you can sign up for Video Alerts. We'll email every new episode to you first on Mondays.
Posted in
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Marnie Black on 4/2/2009 4:00:00 AM by Rob Barnett
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MY DAMN CHANNEL SET TO PREMIERE “PILOT SEASON,”
ANOTHER TOTALLY FAKE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOLLYWOOD
30-Episode Series stars David Cross, Andy Dick,
Isla Fisher, Sam Seder and Sarah Silverman
Launching Monday, April 20, 2009
NEW YORK, April 2, 2009 - My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the award-winning entertainment studio and new media platform, today announced the premiere of “Pilot Season,” a 30-episode mockumentary created by Sam Seder and Charles Fisher. Seder stars in the series along with an extraordinary cast including Sarah Silverman, Isla Fisher, David Cross and Andy Dick. In this series, a documentary crew follows the lives of several desperate actors, agents and studio execs during Hollywood’s annual, intensely competitive television industry feeding frenzy known as Pilot Season.
A sneak peek of the series can be viewed at http://www.mydamnchannel.com/pilotseason. The first two episodes will premiere Monday, April 20, 2009. New episodes will premiere every Monday.
“Pilot Season” first aired on the now defunct Trio cable channel in 2004 to critical acclaim and was called “one of fall’s best series” by the Los Angeles Times.
“Pilot Season is a perfect fit for MyDamnChannel.com. We created ‘Pilot Season’ by letting really talented comedians do what they do best, with no interference from suits (or those who wear them), and that’s MyDamnChannel’s modus operandi,” said Sam Seder. “I’m proud of ‘Pilot Season’ not just because it’s funny and features an amazing cast, but also because we had a chance to make a mini-series as a sequel to a movie four people had seen...It speaks to the wonderful phenomenon of failing upwards -- a hallmark of Hollywood, which ‘Pilot Season’ explores in detail.”
“The response to the sneak peek on our site has been giddy,” said My Damn Channel Founder/CEO Rob Barnett. “Fans are blown away by the A-list cast. Sam and Charlie created an infectious series that’s about to damage productivity for millions of Americans every Monday.”
About My Damn Channel
My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower comedians, musicians and filmmakers to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create content for the My Damn Channel website and for syndication on the most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. The network has aired some of the most successful professionally-produced comedy series on the web, including You Suck at Photoshop, Wainy Days, Horrible People, and videos by Harry Shearer. My Damn Channel has won 7 accolades from the 2008 Webby Awards, garnered worldwide media coverage, secured major national advertisers, earned 50,000 subscribers on You Tube, racked up a bazillion views on My Damn Channel and in syndication and blah, blah, blah…Are you still reading? Stop now and start exploring: www.MyDamnChannel.com.
About The Creators
Sam Seder is a writer, director and comedian whose credits include the feature length comedies “Who’s the Caboose?,” which spawned “Pilot Season” and “A Bad Situationist,” shot in the summer of 2001 and made controversial when it’s subject matter too closely mirrored the attacks of 9-11. Seder’s directing credits also include Comedy Central’s “I’m with Busey” and Studios USA’s “Beat Cops,” which he also co-wrote and co-starred in. Seder’s writing and acting credits include over a dozen broadcast Network Pilots.
Seder has hosted various political talk shows on the Air America Radio network, appeared on CNN, MSNBC and CNBC as a pundit and co-authored Fubar: “America's Right Wing Nightmare” with Stephen Sherrill. Currently, Seder co-hosts “BreakRoomLive” with Marc Maron everyday at 3pm ET. Sam spends most of his time Twittering about having to plead with his 3 year old to wipe her butt.
Charles Fisher is the co-writer and executive producer of the television series “Pilot Season” and “Beat Cops”, as well as the feature film “Who’s the Caboose?” Charles holds two law degrees—a J.D. and an LL.M. in media and entertainment law—and is a member of the state bars of both California and Massachusetts. He also earned a master’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan graduate film program.
TO REQUEST REVIEW COPIES, INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OR CREATOR OF PILOT SEASON, INTERVIEWS WITH THE CEO OF MY DAMN CHANNEL, PHOTOS FROM THE SERIES, VIDEO CLIPS OR FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Marnie Black
(917) 828-7308
marnieblack@yahoo.com
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