WXRK (92.3 MHz), known on-air as "92.3 Now", is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, WXRK broadcasts a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio format. The station is notable for being the flagship station of The Howard Stern Show from November 1985 to December 2005, and The Opie and Anthony Show from April 2006 until March 2009. WXRK's main competition is WHTZ "Z100" 100.3 FM.

History

1948–1975: Early years

The station, first known as WMCA-FM, went on the air on December 25, 1948. It was co-owned with WMCA radio (570 AM) by former New York state senator Nathan Straus. FM radio was not a successful venture for Straus, and he sought to either sell it or close the station down altogether.

In late 1950 Straus sold the station to the owners of WHOM radio (1480 AM, now WZRC), and WHOM-FM appeared on February 26, 1951, featuring a variety of formats, including ethnic, background music, classical, Spanish, and easy listening. By the early 1970s WHOM-FM had a Spanish language easy listening format.

1975–1985: WKTU

Following the sale of the WHOM stations to SJR Communications, the FM station became WKTU, taking on an adult contemporary format that ran from June 5, 1975. At that point WKTU was positioned as a "soft rock" station and called "Mellow 92". Ratings were relatively low. The station held on to the format in spite of low ratings until 1978. That June, when a station executive visited New York's Studio 54 discothèque on half a dozen occasions, he was very impressed with the crowds there. He then got the idea that a disco music-based station was needed, as several FM-based Top 40 stations were leaning disco in other markets. As a result, the station management purchased 200 disco records and brought them into the station. Keeping the same airstaff, adding Paco from their Spanish-language AM station WHOM, and with no notice, the station abruptly flipped to a disco-based rhythmic top 40 format with the tagline "Disco 92" at 6 p.m. July 24, 1978. That fall, the station rose from "Worst to First", unseating WABC in the 18-30 age demographic. Air personalities of this era included Kenn Hayes, Randy Place, Paul Robinson, Trip Reeb, Mary Thomas, Dave Mallow and Joe Guarisco. During the height of the disco craze, WKTU was the station to follow in New York.

Initially, WKTU played mostly dance/disco and a few rhythm-friendly pop and rock songs (such as "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones for example), but by 1979, the station began to add more R&B; music as well as rhythm friendly new wave rock. By then, WKTU was still regarded as a disco station, but could be more accurately described as rhythmic contemporary hit radio. Since that term was not yet used, the station had been classified as urban contemporary. During this period, disc jockeys such as Paco, Rosko, J.D. Holiday (Paul Zarcone), Dale Reeves, Bob Bottone, Jim Harlan Carlos DeJesus, Joe Causi, Guy Broady, Jay Thomas, Freddie Colon, Don Geronimo, Al Bandiero and Diane Pryor graced the airwaves, as the station continued to be at or near the top into the 1980s. Paco later went to jail for drug dealing, which is curious considering he had a successful career in radio and didn't need the money that the illicit profession of drug dealing provided.

In 1981, SJR Communications sold WKTU to Infinity (which later merged with CBS Radio, the station's current owners). Also that year, WKTU added more dance-based New Wave to the format. WKTU remained among the top ten New York City radio stations until 1983, when the station had introduced a new dance music genre called Latin Freestyle. At this point, WKTU received new competition from WHTZ ("Z-100") and WPLJ, both of which adapted a CHR format. By the next year, the station maintained respectable but declining ratings, thanks to the new competition.

By mid-1984, WKTU went to a CHR format as well, but the ratings continued to decline. That fall, the station added legendary WABC host Dan Ingram to afternoons, and Jo Maeder, "The Madame", from Miami's Y-100, joined Jay Thomas in the morning and did her own midday show, but the station continued to struggle in the ratings. To make matters worse, then-named WAPP also went CHR that fall.

So strong was the memory of the late-1970s WKTU that despite all the subsequent on-air changes, the general public still regarded it as a disco station. Even though WAPP moved back to playing mostly rock music in the form of a rock-based CHR in June 1985, giving WKTU one less competitor, the station management thought a more drastic change was needed. Since New York City only had one full-time rock station with WNEW-FM, there was an opportunity.

1985–2005: WXRK

On July 13, 1985 at midnight, the same day WKTU aired the historic Live Aid concert, the station switched to an album-oriented rock format, adopted the nickname of "K-Rock", and changed their call letters to WXRK. (The WKTU call letters later reappeared on New York City's 103.5 FM with a dance pop format in 1996).

Initially, the format at WXRK was similar to the pre-1983 WPLJ, as the air personalities left the station gradually in the next several months (exceptions were Maria Malito and Jo Maeder, who became known as "The Rock and Roll Madame"). Jimmy Fink from WPLJ was one of the first new radio personalities to be hired. After being fired from WNBC that October, Howard Stern signed on to do afternoons, and initially combined music with talk, but in February 1986, Stern took over the morning slot. His morning show became the highest-rated in the market, dethroning Don Imus, who had had the highest-rated morning show for several years on WNBC. Later that year Stern's show became syndicated, with WXRK as its flagship station.

By 1987, Stern stopped playing music on his show altogether, while the station changed to a classic rock format that same year. The airstaff became full of veteran refugees from other New York rock stations, including Dave Herman, Pete Fornatale, Meg Griffin, Vin Scelsa, and Alison Steele from WNEW-FM and Jimmy Fink, Tony Pigg, Marc Coppola, and John Zacherle from WPLJ. In 1993, The Greaseman's syndicated show was put in the nighttime slot, bookending Stern with an act that was often quite controversial.

By the mid-1990s modern rock had become popular. In mid-1993, in New York City radio, WHTZ began to play a lot of modern rock despite primarily being a CHR station. Late in 1993, Classical music station WNCN switched formats and became WAXQ ("Q 104.3"), with a mix of hard and modern rock. Moreover, WNEW-FM switched to a modern rock format in the summer of 1995, and later evolved to first an adult-based modern rock format by the end of that year, and then a more eclectic adult rock mix by 1996. Nevertheless, by the beginning of 1996, there was no full-time modern rock station in New York City.

To fill the void, WXRK switched to a modern rock format on January 5, 1996 right after Stern's show. To kick off the new format, which he enthusiastically endorsed as a better fit for his audience, Stern stayed on the air until 1:06 pm that day playing music. The first song Stern played was Marilyn Manson's cover of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)". Most of the classic rock DJs including Jimmy Fink, Tony Pigg and Marc Coppola disappeared from the station with this change, as did The Greaseman. By August 1997, the station added music that suited an active rock station, and it continued this format of a hybrid active rock/alternative for several years.

By 2003, with a new program director, the station dropped the active rock variant of music. No matter what the format, the longtime problem for the station was that while Stern always had very high ratings, the rest of the station did not fare as well. Moreover, it was hard to classify K-Rock an alternative station (considering classic rock acts like Led Zeppelin being played), while it was hard to label them active rock due to the inclusion of some but not all alternative artists.

Concerned about Stern's move to Sirius Satellite Radio at the beginning of 2006, and acknowledging that its target audience was looking elsewhere for modern rock music, WXRK made another format adjustment on April 4, 2005 to a mainstream rock format, which relied heavily on classic hard rock such as Guns N' Roses, Metallica, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana, while playing new music from such established artists as System of a Down, Nine Inch Nails, Green Day and Weezer. At this time, New York City was one of the few large cities in the United States without an alternative rock station. To prevent any backlash from fans of modern rock, an Internet-only radio station called "K-Rock2" was launched at the same time as the format adjustment. The strategy did not work, as ratings did not improve much.

As a result of the imminent departure of Howard Stern, an announcement was made on October 25, 2005 that the station adopted a talk format on January 3, 2006.

At 10 am Friday, December 16, after the last Howard Stern broadcast, K-Rock stunted a melange of audio sound bites, music and program line-up announcements. At 10:20, K-Rock DJ Julie Slater announced "Welcome to Free FM" and went into music.

2006–2007: WFNY-FM

The WXRK call letters were replaced by WFNY-FM (Free New York) on January 1, 2006. The station, which was one of several CBS Radio stations around the nation branded as "Free FM", featured David Lee Roth as its morning show host. Other talk shows aired throughout the day, while an active rock music format continued to be played on the weekends, called "Free Rock Weekends." Simultaneously, the WXRK call sign moved to the former in Cleveland, also owned by CBS Radio, and coincidentally at the same 92.3 frequency, and was rebranded as 92.3 K-Rock.

Free FM's ratings had plummeted since the change to an all-talk format. As the replacement for Howard Stern, Roth lost nearly three-quarters of Howard Stern's previous audience, dropping a 7.9 share to a 1.8. Among the core audience - 18-34 year-old men - the numbers fell from 13.8 to 1.3. Overall station ratings went from 3.2 in Summer/Fall of 2005 to 2.7 in Winter of 2006, and later to a 2.0, leaving it in 20th place in the New York market.

On April 25, 2006, Chris Booker, host of "The Booker Show", announced that he was broadcasting his last show on Free FM. He soon moved over the morning show at Q102 in Philadelphia. The abrupt end of his show, which had evolved on afternoon drive before the format switch, led the station to revert to "Free Rock" music at nights.

The following day, on April 26, 2006, Opie and Anthony replaced David Lee Roth in morning drive on Free FM, while simulcasting on XM Satellite Radio. The show aired from 6-9 am on both terrestrial and satellite radio, then continued on XM exclusively to 11 am.

By spring 2007, Opie and Anthony managed to slightly improve WFNY-FM's ratings to a 1.4. However, this performance left the radio station ranked #22 of 25 in the NY market.

Weekends continued to use the "Free Rock Weekend" format, which included hour-long "Freecasts" in which a single listener chose the (approximately 15) songs played during the hour. The listener also acted as guest DJ over the phone during the time.

The station was also used as a secondary broadcaster of sister station WFAN, serving as a secondary outlet for NFL football games, New Jersey Devils hockey games and New Jersey Nets basketball games when there was a conflict with another game on WFAN.

After Jim Cramer's Real Money went off the air on in December 2006, WFNY-FM was left with just 4 talk shows (one from syndication). As a result, the station attempted to revamp its lineup with the addition of several new talk shows, the first of which occurred on December 20, 2006. Ron & Fez, who also have a show on XM radio, signed an agreement to broadcast a 92.3 Free FM-exclusive radio show from 6pm to 9pm. Ron and Fez had previously been employed by CBS at WNEW-FM (now WWFS) shortly after that station switched to FM Talk in 1999.

Additional new shows soon followed. On December 28, 2006, John and Jeff started being broadcast from syndication out of sister station 97.1 Free FM in Los Angeles. They broadcast live 2 am to 6 am. On January 2, 2007, Larry Wachs, who was half of The Regular Guys morning show on WKLS-FM in Atlanta, began hosting the 10pm to midnight slot on 92.3 Free FM for 2 weeks. That same day, Nick DiPaolo became host of the 12pm to 3pm time slot. He had done some preview shows the previous week. Beginning January 3, Loveline with Dr. Drew Pinsky & Stryker aired Late Nights, tape delayed, from 12am to 2am.

Danni was Free FM's Music Director and was still a Free Rock jock. She has been heard doing DJ shifts on Fresh 102.7 as well. Free Rock Weekends aired 6am Saturday to 12am Sunday and 6am Sunday 2am Monday. Infomercials ran 2am-6am Sunday. Game Show Radio ran 12-2am on Sundays.

Free FM was using guest hosts for the 10pm to 12am time slot. March 2, 2007 was the last Penn Jillette show on Free FM and CBS Radio stations. The following Monday, WFNY-FM expanded the guest host time slot by an hour, making it 9pm to 12am.

In April 2007, during an interview with a local band "A Brief Smile" on The Dog House, the hosts JV and Elvis directed numerous homophobic insults at the band’s bassist. The hosts referred to the bassist as "Fag Number 1" and asked, "How many badges of honor do you have in your colon?" and kicked him out of the studio. After playing a song by the band the hosts also called the bass part "a little faggy." The bass player returned to the studio, stated he was bisexual and that he found their use of the word "faggot" offensive. Gay rights groups such as GLAAD criticized the show as being homophobic for their remarks.

JV and Elvis were later suspended on April 30 over a six-minute prank phone call peppered with ethnic and sexual slurs to a Chinese restaurant, only after numerous Chinese American advocacy groups complained to CBS demanding the hosts be fired.

Beginning on May 7, Free-FM started using guest hosts 9 am to 12 pm to replace The Dog House. On May 12, 2007, the AP News wire reported that CBS Radio spokeswoman Karen Mateo said, "The Dog House with JV and Elvis will no longer be broadcast [on Free-FM]." CBS fired the co-hosts JV and Elvis, as well as the producer of The Dog House after numerous complaints received from various civil rights groups.

On May 15, 2007, XM Satellite Radio suspended the Opie and Anthony Show for 30 days because of comments made by a homeless man about raping Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush made on an uncensored May 9 broadcast. Their suspension was effective immediately. During this time, CBS Radio kept the show on from 6 to 9am. However, it was not simulcast on XM.

2007–2009: Return to WXRK

On May 24, 2007, after the Opie and Anthony show, an eight-hour countdown began on the former "Free FM" website and a sound collage was broadcast for most of the day. The stunting came to an end at 4:57 PM with an apology from general manager Tom Chiusano, who apologized to listeners for taking K-Rock away. Minutes later at 5 PM, the station returned to the air as K-Rock, playing active rock from the 90s and 2000s along with heavy classic rock. The first host to present the revised format for WFNY-FM/WXRK was Gregg "Opie" Hughes of Opie and Anthony.

The station reverted to its previous call letters, WXRK, on May 31, 2007. The previous WXRK (92.3 K-Rock in Cleveland Heights, also owned by CBS Radio) received the callsign WKRI, which is now WKRK-FM.

Initially, the station had no on-air staff, although on Mondays it featured a Hostile Takeover show where guest(s) sat in as the jock. The station also had contests which begun after Opie and Anthony.

On February 8, 2008, it was announced that program director Tracy Cloherty was among the many non-programming staffers that was let go by CBS Radio, in an attempt to "more effectively monetize the aggregate number of listeners who hear us on the radio and the Internet."

In December 2008, as a result of another change in the station's management, K-Rock made an adjustment to the format focusing more on classic hard rock and playing even less current rock songs. With the format adjustment, Paul Turner, who was the voice of the Howard Stern Show and K-Rock when it was a classic rock station in the 1990s, returned as voice of the station's promos.

As a result of the format shift, on December 16, 2008, FMQB announced that afternoon jock Ian Camfield had left K-Rock to go back to XFM. K-Rock vet Chris Booker took his place, airing in afternoon drive from 2-7PM.

2009–present: Now FM

At 5PM, New York Time (9 pm UTC) on March 11, 2009, WXRK changed to a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio format known as 92.3 Now FM. The last song played on K-Rock was Van Halen's "Right Now". It was followed with the sound of a clock ticking and a promotion mentioning 92.3 Now FM's direct competition with WQHT (Hot 97) and WHTZ (Z-100). Then the sound of an ECG flatlining was heard. An introductory montage was then played, followed by the launch of 92.3 Now FM with the commitment to play "10,000 songs in a row, with zero minutes of commercials". The first song played on "92.3 Now FM" was Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow". It has been speculated in online forums and trade journals that CBS Radio will continue to unfold or tweak towards similar Top 40 radio stations in other major markets in the coming months leaning towards younger listeners.

The station ended the "10,000 Songs in a Row" format in early April 2009, but still offers commercial-free hours. The station now offers "Commercial-Free Mondays", just like sister stations 98.7 AMP Radio in Detroit, Michigan and KAMP-FM in Los Angeles, California.

As of August 2009, WFAN started moving the conflicts of New York Giants games to WCBS-FM instead of WXRK; they did not want to put them on the latter because it is a new station trying to build an audience.

By 2010, 92-3 Now became more of a rhythmic contemporary station, replacing WQHT in that tile. Rival WKTU moved to rhythmic contemporary by September 2010, as it forced WQHT to become a fulltime urban contemporary that is also heard on rival WWPR-FM (Power 105-1), WKTU's sister station. Mediabase & Nielsen BDS, as well as parent company CBS Radio still bill the station as contemporary hit radio. Many of the pop acts have moved to sister hot adult contemporary station WWFS (Fresh 102.7).

Tic-Tak stunt

On December 17, 2010, WXRK afternoon host Mark "Tic-Tak" Allen pulled a on-air tirade in which he dissed the music director (while he was in West Virginia, on vacation) and went against playing the usual Top 40 songs, including "slamming" Katy Perry singles, by declaring that "I'm playing what I want... this is my Christmas present to you" and started mixing in certain songs that do not fit WXRK's current format. Allen was hoping that station management would fire him, but from the comments from message boards like Radio-Info, this "event" might have been staged or a ratings ploy to attract more listeners, since Allen has been known to pull stunts at other stations that he had worked at in the past. A recorded version of the so-called "Takeover" can be heard here.

Current Airstaff

;Weekdays:

Nick Cannon

Nikki

Southern Sarah Lee

Lisa Paige

Tic-Tak

Chunky

Guy on the Couch

Buster

;Weekends:

DJ Lil' Cee

Vibegrrl

Ryder

Andre

JP

Perez Hilton

;Mixshow DJs:

DJ Toro

DJ Yonny

DJ David S.

DJ Suraci

DJ Beatbreaker

;Current shows:

Tic-Tak & the Freak Show (2009-present)

Chunky Radio (2009-present)

Rollin' with Nick Cannon (January 19, 2010-present)

"K-Rock2" and HD radio operations

As part of the K-Rock format change on April 4, 2005 from alternative rock to mainstream rock, K-Rock2, a new Internet-only radio station, was created. Throughout the Free-FM period and during the resurrection of K-Rock, K-Rock2 continued to stream on krock2.com. Following the main channel's format change to Now FM on March 11, 2009, the HD2 channel became known simply as K-Rock, but retained the alternative rock format. The HD2 channel is still K-Rock and can be found at krockradio.com. K-Rock HD2 has a full air staff.

Starting shortly after 2 a.m. on October 6, 2008 the K-Rock2 audio stream was added to WXRK-HD2. A few minutes earlier a simulcast of sister station WFAN was added to WXRK HD3. 92.3 HD3 was initially using the delayed audio feed from wfan.com complete with internet only commercials and not the over the air broadcast feed used by WFAN on 660AM. After a day or so WXRK HD3 switch to the over the air feed of WFAN, but still had a time delay of over a minute.

Notable WXRK personalities

Jimmy Fink Various air shifts, now on 107.1 The Peak WXPK in suburban New York City

Howard Stern was K-Rock afternoon host, then the morning host from 1985-2005 until he moved to Sirius Satellite Radio.

Dead Air Dave 2-6AM and weekends, Howard Stern's censor from April 2002-December 2005. Now using the name 'Dylan' doing afternoon drive on Fresh 102.7.

Maze 6-10PM. Now doing mornings on KC101 New Haven.

Demos Various shifts on the station. Now on SIRIUS Satellite Radio rock channels.

Woody 2-6AM before promotion to 10PM-2AM. Now doing mornings on LIVE 105 San Francisco.

Sluggo 2-6PM when station first flipped to alternative, in later years did shows from the west coast. Now on KROQ Los Angeles and SIRIUS Satellite Radio rock channels.

Jake Fogelnest was on during Free FM. Now found exclusively on XMU on XM Sirius.

Steve Stone (voice actor), a nationally known television and radio promo announcer. Steve Stone worked as the in-house creative director for WXRK-FM for three years, from the end of 1999 to the end of 2002.

Matt Pinfield Hosted 'The Buzz', K-Rock's new music show. Now on VH1 and HDNet, as well as hosting the morning show at competitor WRXP.

Liquid Todd Hosted 'Solid State', K-Rock's Saturday night electronic show. Now on 103.5 WKTU New York and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

Ben Harvey 6-10PM. Now a TV host for here! Networks.

Cabbie (a.k.a. Lee Mroszak) Nights and afternoons with Cane before moving to overnights solo. Served one year in jail for tax evasion. later a weekend DJ for Free FM.

Razz 2-6PM on the station before being moved to 2-6AM. Now on WXTU Philadelphia, a Country station.

Carol Miller Various shifts on the station. Now on Q104.3 New York.

Lazlow Sundays 6-10 p.m. The final show was broadcast December 18, 2005. Does shows once a month on XM Channel 202 "The ViRUS"

JoJo Morales, weekends/swing. Now on the staff of XM's 80's on 8.

Loscalzo, former APD/OM and air talent.

Matt Schwenker, took over nights when 'FREE-FM' went back to KROCK

"Stuttering" John Melendez middays after Howard Stern then out to Lunch in Julie Slater's midday run. Originally a Howard Stern intern

Christy Taylor weekends. Now night show host & music director at 91X in San Diego, CA.

Ian Camfield, weekday afternoons until December 16, 2008. Now doing "The Breakfast Show" on London's Xfm

Nik Carter. Weekdays 10am-2pm before the format switch on March 11, 2009. Was on WRXP until April 2010.

Gregg "Opie" Hughes & Anthony Cumia. Weekdays 6am-9am. 2006 - March 9, 2009. Now exclusively on XM-Sirius Satellite Radio.

Eric Holmes, Promotion Intern. Now Music and Promotion Director for Jacobs Media.

Jo Maeder, "The Rock and Roll Madam." Now the imaging voice of radio stations and an author

Past shows

The David Lee Roth Show (Roth Radio), Mornings 6-10 a.m. | January 3 - April 21, 2006

The Booker Show, Weeknights 7-11 p.m. | January 3 - April 25, 2006

The Nick DiPaolo Show, Weeknights 7-11 p.m. | February 27 - March 2, 2006 (during David Lee Roth's "Vacation")

Jim Cramer's Real Money, Weekdays 1-2 p.m. | March 6 - December 1, 2006

The House of Wax with Larry Wachs, Weekdays 10 p.m.-12 a.m. | January 2–12, 2007 (guest host)

Penn Jillette with Michael Goudeau, Weekdays 9-10 p.m. | January 3, 2006 - March 2, 2007

The Dog House with JV & Elvis, Weekdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | January 2, 2006 - April 30, 2007

Nick DiPaolo, Weekdays 12 p.m.-3 p.m. | January 2 - May 23, 2007

The Radio Chick with Chuck Nice and Butch, Weekdays 3-6 p.m. | January 3, 2006 - May 23, 2007

Ron & Fez Weekdays 6-9 p.m. | December 20, 2006 - May 23, 2007

Opie & Anthony Weekdays 5-9 a.m. | April 26, 2006 - March 9, 2009

The Lazlow Show Fridays 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. | July 15th - August 14th then Sundays 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. | August 24th - December 18th

See also

WKTU – the "new" WKTU started in 1996 at frequency 103.5

References

External links

Official website of 92.3 Now FM

K-Rock HD - New York's Only Alternative

92.3 K-Rock format switch

What it was like to intern at K-Rock in 1991

XRK Category:Rhythmic Top 40 radio stations

Name	Howard Stern
Caption	Howard Stern in 1996.
Birth name	Howard Allan Stern
Birth date	January 12, 1954
Birth place	Jackson Heights, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Radio personality, humorist, television host, author, actor
Years active	1975–present
Spouse	Alison Berns (1978–2001; div.)Beth Ostrosky (2008–present)
Website	www.howardstern.com

Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio personality, humorist, television host, author and actor, best known for his long-running radio show, The Howard Stern Show. He gained national recognition in the 1990s when he was labelled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style. Stern wished for a radio career since he was five; his father, a recording and radio engineer, being a big influence. While studying at Boston University, Stern worked at its campus station WTBU before making his professional début in 1975 at WNTN.

In 1977, Stern worked at WRNW in Briarcliff Manor, New York performing on-air, production and managerial duties. After his departure in 1979 he began to develop a more open personality working mornings at WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1980, he moved to WWWW in Detroit, Michigan, where he earned his first Billboard radio award. Stern relocated to WWDC in Washington, D.C. in 1981, where he was paired with current show newscaster and co-host Robin Quivers. He moved to WNBC in New York City to host afternoons until his firing in 1985. Stern returned to the city's airwaves on WXRK for the next 20 years until his move to Sirius XM in December 2005. In this time, The Howard Stern Show would be syndicated to 60 markets while reaching a peak audience of 20 million listeners. The show was the highest-rated morning program from 1994 to 2001 in the New York market. Stern is an eight-time winner of the Billboard Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year award (1994–2002). He is the highest-paid radio figure, including the most fined, after a history with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over alleged indecency resulted in $2.5 million being issued to station owners that carried his show.

Stern describes himself as the "King of All Media" for his work outside radio. Since 1987, he has hosted numerous late night television shows, pay-per-view events and home video releases. His two books, Private Parts (1993) and Miss America (1995), spent 20 and 16 weeks respectively on The New York Times Best Seller list. The former was adapted into Private Parts (1997), a biographical comedy film starring Stern and his radio show staff as themselves, which made a domestic gross of $41.2 million. The film's topped the the Billboard 200 chart.

Early life and education

Stern was born into a Jewish family who resided in Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City. His parents Ben and Ray (née Schiffman) are children of Austro-Hungarian immigrants, and his sister Ellen is four years his senior.

Stern developed an interest in radio at the age of five. While Ray was a homemaker and later an inhalation therapist, Ben was a co-owner of Aura Recording, Inc., a recording studio in Manhattan where cartoons and commercials were produced. When he made visits with his father, Stern saw the likes of Wally Cox, Don Adams and Larry Storch voice his favourite cartoon characters, influencing the young Stern to talk on the air, rather than playing records. Ben was also an engineer at WHOM, a radio station in Manhattan. The family moved to nearby Rockville Centre in June 1969, and Stern was transferred to South Side High School. After his graduation in 1972, he began the first two of four years at Boston University in the College of Basic Studies. In 1973, he worked up the courage to work at WTBU, the campus radio station where he spun records, read the news and hosted interviews. Stern gained admission to the School of Public Communications in 1974. The diploma he earned in July 1975 at the Radio Engineering Institute of Electronics in Fredericksburg, Virginia, allowed him to apply for a first class FCC radio-telephone license. With the certificate, Stern made his professional debut at WNTN in Newton, Massachusetts, performing airshift, newscasting and production duties between August and December. Stern graduated magna cum laude in May 1976 with a Communications degree,

Career

Early professional radio career (1976–1981)

After graduating in May 1976, Stern declined an offer to work evenings at WRNW, a progressive rock station in the village of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, New York. He was unsure of his talent, and questioned his future in the professional industry. For a while, Stern took creative and media planning roles at Benton & Bowles, a New York advertising agency, followed by a job in trading radio advertising time. Realising his mistake in declining on-air work, Stern contacted WRNW a second time, agreeing to work midday cover shifts over the Christmas holiday period. He was soon hired full time, working a four-hour midday shift for six days for $96 a week.

In 1979, Stern spotted an advertisement for a "wild, fun morning guy" at WCCC, a rock station in Hartford, Connecticut. He showcased a more wild audition tape, playing Robert Klein and Cheech and Chong records mixed with flatulence routines and one-liners. Stern was hired with no change in salary, but a busier schedule. After four hours on the air, he voiced and produced commercials for another four. On Saturdays, following a six-hour show, he did production work for the next three. In addition, as the public affairs director, he hosted a Sunday morning talk show, which he favoured. Fred Norris, the overnight disc jockey, became Stern's producer and writer in late 1981. In the summer of the 1979 energy crisis, Stern held a two-day boycott of Shell Oil Company which attracted media attention. Stern left the station in early 1980 after he was declined a $25 weekly pay increase.

Management at rock outlet WWWW in Detroit, Michigan praised Stern's audition tape for a new morning man. Accepting a salary of $30,000, Stern began on April 21, 1980. He learned to become more open on the air. "I decided to cut down the barriers...strip down all the ego...and be totally honest", he later told Newsday. Stern's efforts earned him a Billboard award for "Album-Oriented Rock Personality of the Year For a Major Market" and the Drake-Chenault "Top Five Talent Search" title. The station however, was declining in listenership. A fall in Stern's Arbitron ratings, in addition to tough competition with other rock stations, led to WWWW switch to a country music format on January 18, 1981. Much to his dislike, Stern left the station soon after.

Washington and WNBC New York (1981–1985)

While considering offers at WXRT in Chicago and CHUM in Toronto, Stern moved to Washington, D.C. to host mornings at WWDC, starting on March 2, 1981. Stern, intent on developing his show further, realised the importance of news segments for satire and topical humor. He looked for a co-worker with a sense of humor to riff with on current events. The station paired Stern with Robin Quivers, a newscaster and consumer affairs reporter from WFBR in Baltimore. Though he felt restricted and controlled by management who enforced a strict format, Stern had the second highest rated morning show in January 1982. Impressed with his ratings success, Stern was approached by NBC with an offer to work afternoons at WNBC in New York City. In March 1982, after signing a five-year contract worth $1 million, Stern's relationship with WWDC management worsened. On June 25, 1982, Stern's contract was terminated indefinitely. He had more than tripled the station's morning ratings during his stay. Stern released 50 Ways to Rank Your Mother, a comedy album of his radio bits. The record was re-released as Unclean Beaver in November 1994.

On April 2, 1982, a news report by Douglas Kiker on raunch radio featuring Stern aired on NBC Magazine. The piece stimulated discussion among NBC management to withdraw Stern's contract. When he began his afternoon program in September, management closely monitored Stern, telling him to avoid talk of a sexual and religious nature. In his first month, Stern was suspended for several days for "Virgin Mary Kong", a segment featuring a video game where a group of men pursued the Virgin Mary around a singles bar in Jerusalem. On September 30, Stern and Quivers were fired for what management claimed were "conceptual differences." said program director John Hayes, who Stern nicknamed "The Incubus". In 1992, Stern believed Thornton Bradshaw, chairman of WNBC's owner RCA, heard his "Bestiality Dial-a-Date" segment ten days earlier and ordered his firing.

K-Rock, early television endeavors and Fartman (1985–1992)

Stern returned to afternoons on New York City rock station WXRK on November 18, 1985. On February 18, 1986, Stern moved to the morning shift and entered national syndication on August 18 when the show was simulcast on WYSP in Philadelphia. In the New York market, The Howard Stern Show was the highest-rated morning program from 1994 to 2001. In 1994, Billboard magazine added the "Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year" category to its annual radio awards, based on entertainment value, creativity and ratings success. Stern was awarded the title from 1994 to 2002. Stern retained his morning position until December 16, 2005, where he began his contract at Sirius in 2006. In this 20-year period, he would be heard in over 60 markets across the United States and Canada while gaining a peak audience of around 20 million.

In May 1987, Stern recorded five television pilots of The Howard Stern Show for Fox when the network planned to replace The Late Show hosted by Joan Rivers. The series was never picked up; one executive having described the show as "poorly produced", "in poor taste" and "boring". Stern hosted his first pay-per-view event on February 27, 1988, Howard Stern's Negligeé and Underpants Party. On September 7, 1989, over 16,000 fans packed out Nassau Coliseum for Howard Stern's U.S. Open Sores, a live event that featured a tennis match between Stern and his radio show producer, Gary Dell'Abate. In February 1991, Stern released Crucified by the FCC, a collection of censored radio segments following the first fine issued to Infinity by the FCC. Stern released his third video tape, Butt Bongo Fiesta, in October 1992 that sold 260,000 copies.

Stern appeared at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards as Fartman, a fictional superhero that first appeared in the National Lampoon magazine in the mid-1970s. He rejected multiple scripts for a proposed 1993 release of The Adventures of Fartman, until a verbal agreement was reached with New Line Cinema. Screenwriter J. F. Lawton had prepared a script before relations soured over the film's rating, content and merchandising rights. The project was then cancelled.

Private Parts, E! show and run for Governor (1993–1994)

In early 1993, Stern signed a $1 million advance contract with Simon & Schuster to publish his first book. Co-authored with Larry Sloman and edited by Judith Regan, Private Parts was released on October 7, 1993. The book sold its first printing of 225,000 copies within hours of going on sale. After five days, it became the fastest-selling title in Schuster's history. Two weeks later, in its eighth printing, over one million copies had been distributed. Sales were supported by Stern's book signing tour. His first at a Barnes & Noble store on Fifth Avenue attracted an estimated 10,000 fans. Around 400,000 households purchased Stern's event that grossed an estimated $16 million. In early 1994, the event was released on VHS as Howard Stern's New Year's Rotten Eve 1994. Between his book royalties and pay-per-view profits, Stern's earnings in the latter months of 1993 totalled around $7.5 million. In its 20th anniversary issue in 1993, Radio & Records named Stern the most influential air personality of the past two decades.

On March 21, 1994, Stern announced his candidacy for Governor of New York under the Libertarian Party ticket, challenging Mario Cuomo for re-election. He planned to reinstate the death penalty, stagger highway tolls to improve traffic flow, and limiting road work to night hours. At the party's nomination convention in Albany on April 23, Stern won the required two-thirds majority on the first ballot, receiving 287 of the 381 votes cast (75.33%). James Ostrowski finished second with 34 votes (8.92%). To place his name on the November ballot, Stern was obliged to state his home address and to complete a financial disclosure form under the Ethics in Government Act of 1987. Arguing the law violated his right to privacy and freedom of association, Stern was denied an injunction on August 2. He withdrew his candidacy two days later. Cuomo was defeated in the gubernatorial election on November 8 by George Pataki, whom Stern backed. In 1995, Pataki signed "The Howard Stern Bill" which limited construction on state roads to night hours in New York and Long Island.

In June 1994, six robot cameras were installed in Stern's radio show studio to film a condensed half-hour program on the E! network. Howard Stern ran for 11 years, until the last taped episode was broadcast on July 8, 2005. In conjunction with his move to Sirius, Stern launched Howard Stern on Demand, a subscription video-on-demand service, on November 18, 2005. The service was fully launched as Howard TV on March 16, 2006.

Miss America and Private Parts film (1995–1997)

On April 3, 1995, three days after the shooting of singer Selena, Stern's comments regarding her death and Mexican Americans caused an uproar in the Hispanic community. He criticized her music with added gunfire sound effects. "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul...Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth". On April 6, Stern responded with a statement in Spanish, stressing his comments were made in satire and not intended to hurt those who loved her. A day later, Justice of the Peace Eloy Cano of Harlingen, Texas issued an arrest warrant on Stern for disorderly conduct.

Stern signed an advance contract with ReganBooks worth $3 million in 1995 to write his second biographical book, Miss America. Stern wrote about his cybersex experiences on the Prodigy service, a private meeting with Michael Jackson, and his past suffering with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The book sold 33,000 copies at Barnes & Noble stores on November 7, the day of its release, setting a new one-day record. Publishers Weekly reported over 1.39 million hardcover copies were sold by the end of 1995, ranking it the third best-seller of the year. Miss America spent a total of 16 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. The film premiered at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden on February 27, 1997, where Stern performed "The Great American Nightmare" with Rob Zombie. Private Parts made its general release on March 7, 1997, where it topped the box office in its opening weekend with a gross of $14.6 million, and $41.2 million in total. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 79%. For his performance, Stern won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for "Favorite Male Newcomer" and nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy)" and a Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst New Star".

On October 8, 1997, Stern filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against Ministry of Film Inc., claiming it recruited him for a film titled Jane starring Melanie Griffith, while knowing it had insufficient funds. Stern, who was unpaid when production ceased, accused the studio of breach of contract, fraud and negligent representation. A settlement was reached in 1999, with Stern receiving $50,000.

Return to Saturday night television and productions (1998–2004)

On April 1, 1998, Stern announced his return to Saturday night television with The Howard Stern Radio Show. Broadcast across the country on CBS affiliates, it featured radio show highlights along with material unseen in his nightly E! show. The show was a direct competitor with NBC's Saturday Night Live and Fox's MADtv for ratings. Concerned with its risqué content, the show began to lose affiliates after two episodes. Making its launch on 79 stations on August 22, 1998, this number was reduced to 55 by June 1999. A total of 84 episodes were broadcast. The final re-run aired on November 17, 2001, to around 30 markets.

In 1994, Stern launched the Howard Stern Production Company for original and joint production and development ventures. He intended to make a film adaptation of Brother Sam, the biography of the late comedian Sam Kinison. In September 1999, UPN announced the production of Doomsday, an animated science-fiction comedy series executively produced by Stern. Originally set for a 2000 release, Stern starred as Orinthal, a family dog. The project was eventually abandoned. From 2000 to 2002, Stern was the executive producer of Son of the Beach, a sitcom which ran for three seasons on FX. In late 2001, Howard Stern Productions was reportedly developing a new sitcom titled Kane. The pilot episode was never filmed. In 2002, Stern acquired the rights to comedy films Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) and Porky's (1982). Neither has yet been re-made. In March 2003, Stern filed a $100 million lawsuit against ABC and the producers of Are You Hot?, claiming the series was based on a radio show segment known as "The Evaluators". A settlement was reached on August 7.

Stern announced in early 2004 of talks with ABC to host a prime time interview special, which never materialized. In August 2004, cable channel Spike picked up 13 episodes of Howard Stern: The High School Years, a second animated series Stern was to executive produce. On November 14, 2005, Stern announced the completion of episode scripts and 30 seconds of test animations. Stern eventually gave the project up. On September 10, 2007, he explained the episodes could have been produced "on the cheap" at $300,000 each, though the quality he demanded would have instead cost over $1 million. Actor Michael Cera was cast as the lead voice.

Satellite radio and CBS lawsuit (2004–present)

On October 6, 2004, Stern announced his contract with Sirius Satellite Radio, a medium free of FCC regulations, starting from January 2006. The move followed a crackdown on perceived indecency in broadcasting that occurred following the controversy surrounding the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February. The incident prompted tighter control over content by station owners and managers, leading to Stern feeling "dead inside" creatively. The five-year deal allows Stern to produce up to three channels on Sirius with a $100 million per year budget for all production, staff and programming costs including the construction of a dedicated studio. On January 9, 2006, the day of his first broadcast, Sirius issued 34.3 million shares of stock worth $218 million to Stern and his agent for exceeding a subscriber target set in 2004. A second stock incentive was paid on January 9, 2007, with Stern earning 22 million shares worth $82.9 million. Following his move, Time magazine included Stern in the Time 100 list in May 2006. He also ranked seventh in Forbes' "World's Most Powerful Celebrities" list a month later.

On February 28, 2006, CBS Radio (formerly Infinity Broadcasting) filed a 43-page lawsuit against Stern, his agent and Sirius. The suit claimed Stern had misused CBS broadcast time to promote Sirius for unjust enrichment during his last 14 months on terrestrial airwaves. In a press conference held hours before the suit was filed, Stern said it was nothing more than a "personal vendetta" against him by CBS president Leslie Moonves. A settlement was reached on May 25, with Sirius paying $2 million to CBS for control of Stern's broadcast archives since 1985.

On December 9, 2010, Stern announced the signing of a new five-year contract with Sirius which ends in 2015.

FCC fines

From 1990 to 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined owners of radio stations that carried The Howard Stern Show a total of $2.5 million for indecent programming.

Personal life

Stern married Alison Berns on June 4, 1978 at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Massachusetts, both 24 years old. They have three daughters – Emily Beth (b. 1983), Debra Jennifer (b. 1986) and Ashley Jade (b. 1993). On October 22, 1999, Stern announced their decision to separate. The marriage ended in 2001 with an amicable divorce and settlement. Stern began a period of single living, dating actresses Angie Everhart and Robin Givens. In 2000, Stern began to date model Beth Ostrosky, co-host of Casino Cinema from 2004 to 2007. She also frequently appeared in the American edition of FHM. On February 14, 2007, after seven years, Stern announced their engagement.

While attending Boston University, Stern developed an interest in Transcendental Meditation, which he practices to this day. He credits it with aiding him in quitting smoking and achieving his goals in radio. Stern has interviewed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the technique, twice in his career. Stern also plays on the Internet Chess Club, and has taken lessons from Dan Heisman, a chess master from Philadelphia.

Filmography

Films

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1986 | Ryder, P.I. | Ben Wah | |- | 1997 | Private Parts | Himself | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for "Favourite Male Newcomer" (1998)Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst New Star" (1998)Nominated – Golden Satellite Award for "Best Male Actor Performance in a Comedy or Musical" (1998) |}

Home video releases

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1988 | Howard Stern's Negligeé and Underpants Party | rowspan="4"| Himself/Host |- | 1989 | Howard Stern's U.S. Open Sores | |- | 1992 | Butt Bongo Fiesta | |- | 1994 | Howard Stern's New Year's Rotten Eve 1994 | |}

Television

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1981 | Petey Greene's Washington | Himself | |- | 1987 | Nightlife | Himself | |- | 1987 | The Howard Stern Show | Himself - Host | Series of 5 pilot episodes that never aired |- | 1988 | The New Hollywood Squares | Announcer - Guest | |- | 1990–1992 | The Howard Stern Show | Himself - Host | |- | 1992 | 1992 MTV Video Music Awards | Fartman | |- | 1992–1993 | The Howard Stern "Interview" | Himself - Host | |- | 1993 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | Season 2, episode 18 |- | 1993 | The John Stewart Show | Himself | Season 1, episode 1 |- | 1994–2005 | Howard Stern | Himself - Host | |- | 1997 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Season 22, episode 14 |- | 1998 | The Magic Hour | Himself | |- | 1998 | The Roseanne Show | Himself | Season 1, episode 54 |- | 1998–2001 | The Howard Stern Radio Show | Himself - Host |- | 2001 | The Concert for New York City | Himself |- | 2004 | Extra | Himself | |- | 2005–present | Howard Stern On Demand | Himself - Host | Known as Howard TV since March 2006 |}

Discography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Album ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Label ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1982 | 50 Ways to Rank Your Mother | Wren Records | Re-released as Unclean Beaver (1994) on Ichiban and Citizen X labels |- | 1991 | Crucified By the FCC | Infinity Broadcasting | |- | 1997 | | Warner Brothers | Billboard 200 Number-one album from March 15–21, 1997 |}

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links

The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM

The Howard Stern Show and Howard Stern Official Site

Category:1954 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American actor-politicians Category:American comedians Category:American actors Category:American Jews Category:American libertarians Category:American radio personalities Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American television personalities Category:American television producers Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American writers Category:Free speech activists Category:Boston University alumni Category:Jewish comedians Category:Jewish comedy and humor Category:Living people Category:Obscenity controversies Category:People from Jackson Heights, Queens Category:People from Nassau County, New York Category:People from New York City Category:Radio personalities from New York City Category:Sirius Satellite Radio Category:Transcendental Meditation practitioners

Name	Yitzhak Rabin
Order	5th
Office	Prime Minister of Israel
Term start1	13 July 1992
Term end1	4 November 1995
President1	Chaim HerzogEzer Weizman
Predecessor1	Yitzhak Shamir
Successor1	Shimon Peres
Term start2	3 June 1974
Term end2	22 April 1977
President2	Ephraim Katzir
Predecessor2	Golda Meir
Successor2	Menachem Begin
Birth date	March 01, 1922
Birth place	Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine
Death date	November 04, 1995
Death place	Tel Aviv, Israel
Party	Alignment, Labor Party
Spouse	Leah Rabin
Children	Dalia Rabin-PelossofYuval Rabin
Religion	Judaism
Signature	Yitzhak Rabin signature.svg

() (1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. He was assassinated by right-wing Israeli radical Yigal Amir, who was opposed to Rabin's signing of the Oslo Accords. Rabin was the first native-born prime minister of Israel, the only prime minister to be assassinated and the second to die in office after Levi Eshkol.

Personal life

Rabin was born in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine to Nehemiah and Rosa, two immigrants of the Third Aliyah, the third wave of Jewish immigration to Israel from Europe. Nehemiah Rubitzov was born in a small Ukrainian town in 1886. His father died when he was a child, and he worked to support his family from a young age. At the age of 18, he emigrated to the United States, where he joined the Poale Zion party and changed his surname to Rabin. In 1917, Nehemiah went to the British Mandate of Palestine with a group of volunteers from the Jewish Legion. Yitzhak's mother, Rosa Cohen, was born in 1890 in Mohilev in Belarus. Her father, a rabbi, opposed the Zionist movement and sent Rosa to a Christian high school for girls in Homel, enabling her to acquire a broad general education. Early on, Rosa took an interest in political and social causes. In 1919, she sailed to the region on the S.S. Ruslan, the bellwether of the Third Aliyah. After working on a kibbutz on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, she moved to Jerusalem. He has a sister named Rachel (younger)

Rabin grew up in Tel Aviv, where the family relocated when he was one year old. In 1940, he graduated with distinction from the Kadoori Agricultural High School and hoped to be an irrigation engineer. However, apart from several courses in military strategy in the United Kingdom later on, he never pursued a degree.

Rabin married Leah Rabin (born Schlossberg) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Leah Rabin was working at the time as a reporter for a Palmach newspaper. They had two children, Dalia and Yuval. Rabin was non-religious, with Dennis Ross remarking that Ross had never met a more secular Jew in Israel.

Military career

Palmach

In 1941, during his practical training at kibbutz Ramat Yohanan, Rabin joined the Palmach section of the Haganah, under the influence of Yigal Allon. The first operation he participated in was assisting the allied invasion of Lebanon, then held by Vichy French forces (the same operation where Moshe Dayan lost his eye) in June–July 1941. After the end of the war the relationship between the Palmach and the British authorities became strained, especially with respect to the treatment of Jewish immigration. In October 1945 Rabin was in charge of planning and later executing an operation for the liberation of interned immigrants from the Atlit detainee camp for Jewish illegal immigrants. In the Black Shabbat, a massive British operation against the leaders of the Jewish Establishment in British Mandate Palestine, Rabin was arrested and detained for five months. After his release he became the commander of the second Palmach battalion and rose to the position of Chief Operations Officer of the Palmach in October 1947.

IDF service

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War Rabin directed Israeli operations in Jerusalem and fought the Egyptian army in the Negev. During the beginning of the war he was the commander of the Harel Brigade, which fought on the road to Jerusalem from the coastal plain, including the Israeli "Burma Road", as well as many battles in Jerusalem, such as securing the southern side of the city by recapturing kibbutz Ramat Rachel.

During the he participated in the altercation between the IDF and the Irgun on the beach of Tel Aviv as part of the Altalena Affair. In the following period he was the deputy commander of Operation Danny, during which the cities of Ramle and Lydda were captured, as well as the major airport in Lydda. Following the capture of the two towns there was an exodus of their Arab population and only a few hundred of the 50,000 to 70,000 residents remained.

Operation Danny was the largest scale operation until then and it involved four IDF brigades. He was then Chief of Operations for the Southern Front and participated in the major battles ending the fighting there, including Operation Yoav and Operation Horev.

In the beginning of 1949 he was a member of the Israeli delegation to the armistice talks with Egypt that were held on the island of Rhodes. The result of the negotiations were the 1949 Armistice Agreements which ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Following the demobilization at the end of the war he was the most senior (former) member of the Palmach that remained in the IDF.

In 1964 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by Levi Eshkol who replaced David Ben Gurion and, like him, served as Prime-Minister and Minister of Defense. Since Eshkol did not have much military experience, Rabin had a relatively free hand.

Under his command, the IDF achieved victory over Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the Six-Day War in 1967. After the Old City of Jerusalem was captured by the IDF, Rabin was among the first to visit the Old City, and delivered a famous speech on Mount Scopus, at the Hebrew University. In the days leading up to the war, it was reported that Rabin suffered a nervous breakdown and was unable to function. After this short hiatus, he resumed full command over the IDF.

Ambassador and Minister of Labour

Following his retirement from the IDF he became ambassador to the United States beginning in 1968, serving for five years. In this period the US became the major weapon supplier of Israel and in particular he managed to get the embargo on the F-4 Phantom fighter jets lifted. During the 1973 Yom Kippur war he served in no official capacity and in the elections held at the end of 1973 he was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Alignment. He was appointed Israeli Minister of Labour in March 1974 in Golda Meir's short-lived government.

First term as Prime Minister

Following Golda Meir's resignation in April 1974, Rabin was elected party leader, after he defeated Shimon Peres. The rivalry between these two labor leaders remained fierce and they competed several times in the next two decades for the leadership role. Rabin succeeded Golda Meir as Prime Minister of Israel on 3 June 1974. This was a coalition government, including Ratz, the Independent Liberals, Progress and Development and the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers. This arrangement, with a bare parliamentary majority, held for a few months and was one of the few periods in Israel's history where the religious parties were not part of the coalition. The National Religious Party joined the coalition on 30 October 1974 and Ratz left on the 6 November.

In foreign policy, the major development at the beginning of Rabin's term was the Sinai Interim Agreement between Israel and Egypt, signed on September 1, 1975. Both countries declared that the conflict between them and in the Middle East shall not be resolved by military force but by peaceful means. This agreement followed Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy and a threatened ‘reassessment’ of the United States’ regional policy and its relations with Israel. Rabin notes it was,”an innocent-sounding term that heralded one of the worst periods in American-Israeli relations.” The agreement was an important step towards the Camp David Accords of 1978 and the peace treaty with Egypt signed in 1979.

Operation Entebbe was perhaps the most dramatic event during Rabin's first term of office. On his orders, the IDF performed a long-range undercover raid to rescue passengers of an airliner hijacked by militants belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's Wadie Haddad faction and the German Revolutionary Cells (RZ), and had been brought to Idi Amin's Uganda. The operation was generally considered a tremendous success, and its spectacular character has made it the subject of much continued comment and study.

Towards the end of 1976 his coalition government with the religious parties suffered a crisis: A motion of no confidence had been brought by Agudat Israel over a breach of the Sabbath on an Israeli Air Force base when four F-15 jets were delivered from the US and the National Religious Party had abstained. Rabin dissolved his government and decided on new elections, which were to be held in May 1977.

Following the March 1977 meeting between Rabin and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Rabin publicly announced that the U.S. supported the Israeli idea of defensible borders; Carter then issued a clarification. A "fallout" in U.S./Israeli relations ensued. It is thought that the fallout contributed to the Israeli Labor Party's defeat in the May 1977 elections. At the same time, it was revealed that his wife, Leah, continued to hold a US dollar account from the days that Rabin was ambassador to the United States. According to Israeli currency regulations at the time, it was illegal for citizens to maintain foreign bank accounts without prior authorization. In the wake of this disclosure, Rabin handed in his resignation from the party leadership and candidacy for prime minister, an act that earned him praise as a man of integrity.

Opposition Knesset member and Minister of Defense

Following his resignation and Labor Party defeat at the elections, Likud's Menachem Begin was elected in 1977. Until 1984 Rabin was a member of Knesset and sat on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. From 1984 to 1990, he served as Minister of Defense in several national unity governments led by prime ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres.

When Rabin came to office, Israeli troops were still deep in Lebanon. Rabin ordered their withdrawal to a "Security Zone" on the Lebanese side of the border. The South Lebanon Army was active in this zone, along with the Israeli Defence Forces.

When the first Intifada broke out, Rabin adopted harsh measures to stop the demonstrations, even authorizing the use of "Force, might and beatings," on the demonstrators. Rabin the "bone breaker" was used as an International image.

In 1990 to 1992, Rabin again served as a Knesset member and sat on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Second term as Prime Minister

, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993]] In 1992 Rabin was elected as chairman of the Labor Party, winning against Shimon Peres. In the elections that year his party, strongly focusing on the popularity of its leader, managed to win a clear victory over the Likud of incumbent Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. However the left-wing bloc in the Knesset only won an overall narrow majority, facilitated by the disqualification of small nationalist parties that did not manage to pass the electoral threshold. Rabin formed the first Labor-led government in fifteen years, supported by a coalition with Meretz, a left wing party, and Shas, a Mizrahi ultra-orthodox religious party.

Rabin played a leading role in the signing of the Oslo Accords, which created the Palestinian National Authority and granted it partial control over parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Prior to the signing of the accords, Rabin received a letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat renouncing violence and officially recognizing Israel, and on the same day, 9 September 1993, Rabin sent Arafat a letter officially recognizing the PLO. After the historical handshake with Yasser Arafat, Rabin said, on behalf of the Israeli people: "We who have fought against you, the Palestinians, we say to you today, in a loud and a clear voice, enough of blood and tears ... enough!" During this term of office, Rabin also oversaw the signing of the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace in 1994.

Nobel Peace Prize

For his role in the creation of the Oslo Accords, Rabin was awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres. The Accords greatly divided Israeli society, with some seeing Rabin as a hero for advancing the cause of peace and some seeing him as a traitor for giving away land they viewed as rightfully belonging to Israel. Many Israelis on the right wing often blame him for Jewish deaths in terror attacks, attributing them to the Oslo agreements.

Rabin was also awarded the 1994 Ronald Reagan Freedom Award by the former president's wife, former First Lady Nancy Reagan. The award is only given to "those who have made monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom worldwide," and who "embody President Reagan's lifelong belief that one man or woman truly can make a difference.".

Assassination and aftermath

On 4 November 1995 (12th of Heshvan on the Hebrew Calendar), Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, a radical right-wing Orthodox Jew who opposed the signing of the Oslo Accords. The shooting took place in the evening as Rabin was leaving a mass rally in Tel Aviv in support of the Oslo process. Rabin was rushed to the nearby Ichilov Hospital, where he died on the operating table of blood loss and a punctured lung within 40 minutes. Amir was immediately seized by Rabin's bodyguards. He was later tried, found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment. After an emergency cabinet meeting, Israel's foreign minister, Shimon Peres, was appointed as acting Israeli prime minister.

Rabin's assassination came as a great shock to the Israeli public and much of the rest of the world. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis thronged the square where Rabin was assassinated to mourn his death. Young people, in particular, turned out in large numbers, lighting memorial candles and singing peace songs. Rabin's funeral was attended by many world leaders, among them U.S. president Bill Clinton, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and King Hussein of Jordan. Clinton delivered a eulogy whose final words were in Hebrew — "Shalom, Haver" (, lit. Goodbye, Friend).

The square where he was assassinated, Kikar Malkhei Yisrael (Kings of Israel Square), was renamed Rabin Square. Many other streets and public institutions in Israel have also subsequently been named after him. After his assassination, Rabin was hailed as a national symbol and came to embody the Israeli peace camp ethos, despite his military career and hawkish views earlier in life. He is buried on Mount Herzl. In November 2000, his wife Leah died and was buried alongside him.

There is much debate regarding the background of Rabin's assassination. There are a number of conspiracy theories related to the assassination of Rabin.

After Rabin's assassination, his daughter Dalia Rabin-Pelossof entered into politics and was elected to the Knesset in 1999 as part of the Centre Party. In 2001, she served as Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense.

Commemoration

The Knesset has set the 12th of Heshvan, the murder date according to the Hebrew calendar, as the official memorial day of Rabin. An unofficial but widely followed memorial date is November 4, the date according to the Gregorian calendar.

In 1995 the Israeli Postal Authority issued a commemorative Rabin stamp.

The Yitzhak Rabin Center was founded in 1997 by an act of the Knesset, to create "[a] Memorial Center for Perpetuating the Memory of Yitzhak Rabin." It carries out extensive commemorative and educational activities emphasizing the ways and means of democracy and peace.

Mechinat Rabin, an Israeli pre-army preparatory program for training recent high school graduates in leadership prior to their IDF service, was established in 1998.

Many cities and towns in Israel have named streets, neighborhoods, schools, bridges and parks after Rabin. Also two government office complexes and two synagogues are named after Yitzhak Rabin. Outside Israel, there are streets named after him in Bonn, Berlin and New York and parks in Montreal, Paris, Rome and Lima. The community Jewish high school in Ottawa is also named after him.

Reggae singer Alpha Blondy has recorded a single called "Yitzhak Rabin" in memory of the Israeli prime minister.

See also

List of Jewish Nobel laureates

200 Greatest Israelis

Kempler video, Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin video

Further reading

Avner, Yehuda: The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership (2010), ISBN 9781592642786

Benedikt, Linda: Yitzhak Rabin: The Battle for Peace, ISBN 1-904950-06-X.

Horovitz, David (editor): Shalom, Friend: the Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, ISBN 1-55704-287-X

Kurzman, Dan: Soldier of Peace: The Life of Yitzhak Rabin, ISBN 0-06-018684-4

Rabin, Leah: Rabin: Our Life, His Legacy, ISBN 0-399-14217-7

Rabin, Yitzhak: The Rabin Memoirs, ISBN 0-520-20766-1

Uri Milstein, The Rabin File, ISBN 965-229-196-X

References

External links

Memorial biography Prime Minister's Office

Official government biography Prime Minister's Office

Yitzhak Rabin Condolence and Memorial Website

One of the last recorded interviews with Yitzhak Rabin – a six-minute interview with David Esing, recorded one month before his assassination.

Eulogies at the Funeral of Prime Minister Rabin Jewish Virtual Library

Yitzhak Rabin Information Page

Dromi, Uri (Nov. 5, 2005). "Still craving peace 10 years after Rabin". New Straits Times, p. 20.

"Israel marks Rabin assassination". (Nov. 5, 2005). BBC.

Category:Israeli ambassadors to the United States Category:Assassinated Israeli politicians Category:Chiefs of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Category:Deaths by firearm in Israel Category:Members of the Knesset Category:Haganah members Category:Palmach fighters Category:Israeli Nobel laureates Category:Nobel Peace Prize laureates Category:Israeli party leaders Category:Israeli Jews Category:Jewish politicians Category:Jews in Ottoman and British Palestine Category:People from Jerusalem Category:Prime Ministers of Israel Category:Terrorism deaths in Israel Category:Yitzhak Rabin assassination Category:People murdered in Israel Category:Assassinated heads of government Category:Assassinated Jews Category:1922 births Category:1995 deaths Category:Alignment (political party) politicians Category:Israeli Labor Party politicians Category:Burials at Mount Herzl Category:Israeli people of Belarusian origin Category:Time Persons of the Year

Vincent Anthony Scelsa, better known as "Vin," was born on December 12, 1947 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He is the host of a freeform radio show known as Idiot's Delight.

He attended Upsala College in East Orange, NJ, where he spent his early broadcasting years at WFMU. Scelsa originally considered becoming a Jesuit priest before pursuing a career in radio. His eclectic mix of music, reviews, and lengthy interviews with authors and artists has established Scelsa as a fixture in late night New York City radio for decades.

Scelsa went on to work in radio on Long Island in the early 1970s at WLIR and on WBAI-FM in New York City. He became road manager for singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt and also worked for Poppy Records. On February 14, 1971, while he was music director at WABC-FM, the station changed its call letters to WPLJ, an acronym for and homage to the song, performed by The Four Deuces in 1955 and the Mothers of Invention in 1970, called "White Port and Lemon Juice."

In 1981 he was namechecked on The Ramones' "It's Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)".

Scelsa later worked at WNEW-FM 102.7 from 1973 through 1982, briefly at WLIR, and then WXRK-FM 92.3 K-Rock from 1985 through 1996. His popular show was subsequently named "Idiot's Delight," many fans of which participate in the online "Idiot's Delight Digest."

When K-ROCK decided to solidify its format as all rock (except for Howard Stern in the morning), Scelsa left the station and returned to WNEW. When WNEW changed format in 1999, he moved "Idiot's Delight" to WFUV/90.7 FM, the voice of Fordham University. He also briefly hosted an internet only radio show called "Live at Lunch" during 2000 and 2001 which he broadcast from his home or from a studio at J&R; Music World.

Scelsa broadcasts a separate version of "Idiot's Delight" live on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (12noon - 2pm ET) for Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's "The Loft" (Channel 29 on Sirius/Channel 50 on XM). The combined four hours of the Sirius/XM broadcasts are repeated on Sunday nights, 8pm to midnight ET, and at several other times during the week, also on "The Loft".

Scelsa was the music editor of Penthouse Magazine from 1988 to 1992 and was the co-creator of a musical series with the lengthy name In Their Own Words: A Bunch Of Songwriters Sittin' Around Singing at The Bottom Line in NYC..

Scelsa has also appeared on stage numerous times, most notably as Vladimir in the Luna Stage's production of Waiting for Godot.

In 2006 he underwent successful prostate cancer surgery. On his WFUV show of September 16, 2006, he announced a schedule change which he attributed to his health problems. On most weeks for the foreseeable future "Idiot's Delight" will present new programming only from 8-10 pm on Saturdays, with archived material (from both WFUV and his earlier jobs) from 10 pm to midnight.

Scelsa only used this format for a few weeks before deciding to once again change his recording format at WFUV. Scelsa currently records the 10pm to Midnight hours the week before his Saturday broadcast. Then, he records live to tape in WFUV studios with guests on Saturday mornings. Those recordings air from 8pm - 10pm the same night.

On December 13, 2007 (a few weeks after celebrating his 40th anniversary on New York radio; and the day after his birthday) Vin Scelsa was the recipient of the prestigious ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award, presented at The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Vin was praised for "outstanding coverage of music on his long-running show Idiot's Delight" (as heard on WFUV broadcast radio and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio The Loft 29 [Sirius] The Loft 50 [XM]). Songwriter Marilyn Bergman, current President and Chairman of the Board of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) stated in her presentation of the award, "Vin Scelsa, a mainstay of New York radio for four decades, is one of the last true free-form radio hosts... He is a champion of new and untested music and, with his devoted listening public, an important tastemaker."

In accepting the award Vin thanked New York radio veterans Bob Fass (an early mentor and role model), Scott Muni (WNEW-FM air personality and program director) for trusting Vin with total freedom on a major commercial radio station) and air personality Alison Steele (who taught him about the painful struggle faced by women in broadcasting until well into the 1970s).

Vin thanked the many general managers and program directors who tended to ignore him and pass him along from one to another, rather like an enigmatic "grandfather clause." He tipped his hat to a mysterious "rabbi named Mel" - in thanks for whatever it is the rabbi does or doesn't do to protect him from the harsh realities of 21st Century radio. He thanked his parents for being constant radio listeners; post WWII the radio was always on in the Scelsa household: Mom listening to her soaps and talk shows on WOR and Dad digging Sinatra and Basie and the Milkman's Matinee on the old WNEW-AM.

But most of all he thanked Freddie, the girl he met when they were both 17-year-old seniors in high school. They married in 1970 and have been together ever since. Vin said he enjoyed success, freedom and longevity in his radio career because of Freddie's support, generosity, understanding, patience and love. "Without Freddie there is no way I would be standing on this stage in this beautiful room accepting this remarkable honor tonight."

External links

Meet Vin Scelsa

Idiot's Delight Message Board

Audio Archive of Idiot's Delight Shows

Playlist Archive of Idiot's Delight Shows

The Idiot's Delight Digest

Complete Archive of the Idiot's Delight Digest

Disk Full! The Idiot's Delight Digest Information Hub

Free-Form D.J. Loses Weekly Radio Show

Category:American radio personalities Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Radio personalities from New York City Category:People from Bayonne, New Jersey Category:1947 births Category:Living people

Name	Jason Derülo
Birth name	Jason Joel Desrouleaux
Background	solo_singer
Born	September 21, 1989
Origin	Miami, Florida, United States
Genre
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actor
Years active	2007–present
Label	Warner Bros.Beluga Heights
Associated acts	Birdman, Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas
Url

Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born , 1989), better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper Diddy, Derülo signed to minor recording label Beluga Heights. After Beluga Heights became part of the Warner Music Group, Derülo released his debut single, "Whatcha Say" in May 2009. The song became a huge digital hit, selling over five million digital downloads, gaining an RIAA certification of double platinum, and reaching number 1 in the US and New Zealand. Derülo released his second single, "In My Head", in December 2009. His debut album, Jason Derülo, was released in 2010.

Early life

Derülo was born in Miami, Florida, to Haitian parents. His birth name is Desrouleaux, but he changed the spelling for his stage name to make it easier to pronounce.

Derülo has been performing since the age of five. He wrote his first song, "Crush on You", at age eight and was heard singing part of the song on a Galaxy FM interview. Derülo spent his youth studying opera, theater, and ballet. He attended Dillard Center for the Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.

At age 12, Derülo met his future manager, Frank Harris, a law school student who was helping him improve his basketball skills. Jason was always a tall child and is currently measuring at 1 ft 2

Music career

2007–2009: songwriting and musical beginnings

Derülo has been writing songs for artists including Diddy, Danity Kane, Donnie Klang, Sean Kingston, Cassie, and Lil Mama since he was 16, intent on becoming a solo performer. After attending performing arts schools and honing his talents as a singer and dancer (plus acting in theatre productions like Ragtime and Smokey Joe's Cafe), Derülo won the grand prize on the 2006 season finale of the TV show Showtime at the Apollo. Derülo was discovered by music producer J. R. Rotem, who signed him to his record label Beluga Heights Records and Warner Bros. Records.

In a HitQuarters interview, Rotem highlighted Derülo's dedication to his art by saying, "Jason Derülo has one of the most impressive work ethics I've ever come across – he just keeps knocking out songs in the studio. That's an amazing quality."

Derülo's music career began in 2006, when he was featured on Birdman's song "Bossy", which was featured on his album, 5 * Stunna.

2009–present: Jason Derülo

On August 4, 2009, Jason released his debut single, "Whatcha Say". It was produced by J. R. Rotem with additional production by Fuego. The track samples the Imogen Heap song "Hide and Seek". In late August 2009, the song debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number 1 in November 2009. The single's music video was released in September 2009; after the single became successful, Derülo began work on his debut album. He released the second single from his album, "In My Head", on , 2009. It debuted at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached number five.

Derülo's debut album, Jason Derülo, was released on , 2010. He spent six weeks promoting the album in his appearances as one of the opening acts for Lady Gaga's 2009–2010 The Monster Ball Tour. The third single of the album is "Ridin' Solo," which was released worldwide on , 2010. By July, the single had reached number nine in the Billboard Hot 100.

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!style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"|UK |- |2010 |align="left"| Jason Derülo

Released: March 2, 2010

Label: Beluga Heights / Warner

Formats: CD, digital download

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Singles

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2" width="230"| Single !colspan="10"| Peak chart positions !rowspan="2"| Certifications !rowspan="2"| Album |- !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"|US

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!style="width:3em;font-size:75%"|NZ |- |rowspan="2"|2009 |align="left"| "Whatcha Say" | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 |align="left"| US: 3× Platinum AUS: 2× Platinum NZ: Platinum CAN: 2× Platinum |align="left" rowspan="5"| Jason Derülo |- |align="left"| "In My Head" | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 13 | 20 | 1 |align="left"| US: 2× Platinum CAN: 2× Platinum |align="left"| |- |colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes an item that failed to chart. |- |}

Music videos

Songwriter credits

"Bossy" from 5 * Stunna by Birdman

"My House" and "She Can't Love You" from Electro Love by Cassie

"Dr. Love", "Rain", and "Spank Me" from Just a Rolling Stone by Donnie Klang

"My Life" from The Boatlift by Pitbull

"First Come" and "First Serve" from The Introduction of Marcus Cooper by Pleasure P

"Danger" from Statlanta by Stat Quo

"Replay" from Replay by Iyaz

References

External links

Category:1989 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:African American musicians Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American male singers Category:American people of Haitian descent Category:American pop singers Category:People from Miami, Florida Category:Warner Bros. Records artists