It's 5a in San Francisco. We've got a non-slouchy 5:30a crew call for a full day of shooting in a city we love.
Michael Ian Black is finally starring in his own My Damn Channel series. We're so happy our face muscles hurt. You'll see why when our show goes live in December.
Our producer is our mega mainman Jon Stern, who gifts you Wainy Days, Horrible People, Childrens Hospital and everything we love.
Michael Ian Black is the kind of Slash King we worship: comedian/actor/writer/director/twitter lord.
His body o' work creates a major fanbase of people we want to hang out with. Evidence includes the genius magic of The State, Stella, Michael and Michael Have Issues and more. And Michael is Chief Content Officer of a co. we're co-conspiring with now...please partake in the wonders of the 24-hour live comedy ticker, WitStream. Ta da.
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Howard Stern with tags
Howard Stern,
Howard TV,
Rob Barnett,
My Damn Channel,
Radio,
Steven Clean,
Harry Shearer,
WKRP,
WCOZ,
The Rolling Stones,
WAAF,
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.
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Howard Stern with tags
Howard Stern,
Howard TV,
My Damn Channel,
Rob Barnett on 4/22/2010 1:30:42 PM by Virginia Reiff
If you or your absentee next door neighbor that always leaves the door open gets Howard TV, watch Rob get interviewed by The King, Howard Stern. You'll laugh, you'll learn, you'll thank me in the morning.
Posted with tags
Howard Stern,
Rob Barnett,
My Damn Channel,
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Jon Stewart,
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.
Posted in
Jimmy Kimmel with tags
Jimmy Kimmel Live,
Handsome Men's Club,
Oscars,
ABC,
Ben Affleck,
Lenny Kravitz,
Matthew McConaughey,
Ted Danson,
Sting,
Taye Diggs,
John Krasinski,
Patrick Dempsey,
Rob Lowe,
Ethan Hawke,
Matthew McConaughey,
Josh Hartnett,
Matt Damon,
Keith Urban,
Jennifer Garner,
Tony Romo on 3/8/2010 4:17:11 AM by Rob Barnett
And the Oscar goes to:
JIMMY KIMMEL.
Last night's Oscar special on Jimmy Kimmel Live featured Robert Downey Jr and the premiere of the trailer from Iron Man 2.
But the video that must be seen now - over any Monday morning work priority - is the HANDOME MEN's CLUB, starring its President Mr. Kimmel and the most A-list cast to ever grace video virality.
Prepare to be Handsome:
January 30th kicked off the first night of Mardi Gras 2010 and our own Harry Shearer became King of New Orleans - appointed by Captain of
Posted in
My Damn Channel with tags
My Damn Channel,
Spärhusen,
Easy To Assemble,
Illeana Douglas,
IKEA,
RAMP,
Radio and Music Pros,
Harry Shearer,
Don Was,
Stella,
Grace Crashers,
Keanu Reeves,
Paul McCartney,
Knights of the Round Table on 9/13/2009 7:39:46 PM by Rob Barnett
Those 3 tired words are decades old but Hollywood hopes they help you fall in love
with new shows.
We put quotes around our "new fall season" - knowing we can't fool you into love - but hoping it feels just a little funnier that way.
In two years, we’ve birthed 25 channels of music and comedy…working with
artists we love. We think you’ve taught us how to get talent and new
series worthy of your evil eye.
Help us buy another bag of chips for lunch!
Share the
full press release.
Share these links to our New Series:
Spärhusen
Easy To Assemble: Co-Worker of The Year
Knight Shift
RAMP (Radio And Music Pros)
Harry Shearer: Greed and Fear
Don Was: The Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music (Season 3)
Stella Live in Boston
Unwigged & Unplugged: An Evening with Christopher Guest, Michael
McKean and Harry Shearer
Animation Block (Season 2)
Grace Crashers Presented by Southern Comfort
New Stars:
Illeana Douglas
Keanu Reeves
Ask A Ninja
Sir Paul McCartney
Rob Mailhouse
Sir Sean Connery
Todd Spahr
Sir Richard Branson
Wallace Langham
Ryan Hunter
Taige Jensen
Sir Ben Kingsley
Jeff Goldblum
Stephen Hawking
Brad O’Farrell
Justine Bateman
Tom Arnold
Sir Elton John
Kevin Carter
Keith Berman
Steve Resnik
Prince William
The Queen
Ed Begley Jr.
Craig Bierko
Kevin Pollak
Sidney Poitier
Jane Lynch
Cheri Oteri
Ricki Lake
Tim Meadows
Dave Ahdoot
Daryl Sabara
Eric Lange
Posted in
Radio with tags
WBCN,
radio,
My Damn Channel,
Boston on 7/18/2009 5:34:21 AM by Rob Barnett
Famous deaths surround us these past few weeks. The nature of heat and fame create imagined personal connections to a legendary news oracle, to a Pop King, or a Pin-up angel. But this time, it's personal.
The death of WBCN is a painful loss felt deeply by everyone of us directly influenced by its greatness.
Every music fan whose ears and taste were shaped by the artists, songs and albums heard on 104.1 lost a friend.
Don't believe everything you hear from Spinal Tap. Boston IS a college town. If you've ever called this city "home," you owe respect and appreciation for the fun, the spirit and the sounds that BCN put into Boston.
My first college internship was at BCN. I remember the intense electric feeling as my heart beat way too fast on the first night inside that studio. That internship was the first step onto a path chasing dreams. I'll always be grateful.
If you're a fellow mourner, do you accept all the nice nice talk about change being inevitable, or can you imagine a new kind of radio powerful enough to make hearts beat way too fast?
Seth Godin once said that one of the problems with radio in the modern age is that it should no longer be called "radio."
What would we call it?
How could we forge a new model for "radio" with the honesty, passion, brains and balls to a co-create a business too powerfully protected by its fans and artists to be stopped?
Where would you launch such a thing?
Just asking.
We hate when people make announcements and always say they're "thrilled."
We're PSYCHED to announce the Season 2 premiere of "Back on Topps."
New episodes premiere Tuesdays at: http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/BackOnTopps
Our fave sports comedy series stars The Sklar Brothers, Randy and Jason as Leyland and Leif Topps, heirs to the Topps Trading Cards fortune until their uncle sold the company to Michael Eisner.
The series is directed by one of our favorite humans, Michael Blieden.
Actors include My Damn Channel co-con, Jason Nash (Reno 911), Phil LaMarr (MadTV, Family Guy, Pulp Fiction) and Janet Varney (Entourage, How I Met Your Mother).
Big ticket cameos have included Dennis Rodman, Julio Franco, Russell Martin, David Robinson, Baron Davis, Kevin Millar, Jim Palmer, Juan Samuel, Rudy Gay, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon, Evan Longoria, Matt Holiday and Kevin Love.
Posted in
Don Was,
Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music with tags
Don Was,
Nicole Sandler,
Stand By Me,
Air America,
Radio or Not,
Was (Not Was),
Andy,
Jon Bon Jovi,
Richie Sambora,
John Shanks,
My Damn Channel,
Ben E. King,
Wasmopolitan,
July 4th on 7/4/2009 6:50:15 AM by Rob Barnett
Happy 4th!
The method to our madness at My Damn Channel has always been simple. We put independent artists we love & trust in charge of their own channels to bring you free comedy & music.
Don Was conjured up mighty free magic with the release of "Stand by Me," a new version of the Ben E. King classic - made for the people of Iran - by Iranian superstar Andy, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, John Shanks, Don Was & friends.
"Stand by Me" is only one week old today and we're closing in on the first million views worldwide! THANK YOU for sharing this song and video and free mp3 and for moving it across continents and into Iran.
Here's the first, in-depth interview with Don about how this all came about by Nicole Sandler. (giving me trouble on IE - fine on Safari?! - must need more beer)
Nicole has one of the most impressive careers in radio. She's broadcast on some of the best music radio stations across the country. A true music fan with fine taste. You can find Nicole talking music, politics and more on Air America and we also recommend her blog at RadioOrNot.com.
Nicole spoke with Don Was about putting together the "Stand by Me" project - about Was (Not Was) - and about creating, producing and curating the Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music here on My Damn Channel.