Stern Response

I'm usually a Kevin & Bean/KROQ listener, but I'm tempted to tune into Howard Stern's morning show on Monday (heard locally on 97.1/KLSX-FM) to see how he reacts to two big pieces of news in his world.

First off, he can't be too happy that longtime sidekick "Stuttering John" Melendez has jumped ship to join NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" as its new announcer.

And even more interestingly, how will Stern ever tailor his show to fit Mel Karmazin's new "zero-tolerance policy" regarding sexual content over the airwaves?

The New York Post earlier this week quoted Karmazin, who conducted a company-wide conference call with Viacom's Infinity radio division: "Don't screw up... If you don't comply, you'll be fired for cause. This company won't be a poster child for indecency."

I'm still surprised Karmazin went as far as to call this a "zero-tolerance" edict. First rule of thumb in the entertainment industry, and something many execs have learned the hard way: There are no absolutes. Blanket edicts will just get you in trouble later.

The latest fall-out from Janet Jackson Nipplegate, the effects have already been felt locally. Infinity's all-news KNX and KFWB have banned all live interviews and phone calls for now.

And the aforementioned Kevin & Bean last week discussed the new edict on-air -- jokingly playing a buzzer sound effect whenever they were about to discuss a topic that might be "questionable in nature." Sidekick Ralph Garman has already had to shelf his weekly "Sex U." feature, in which he discussed sex issues -- at times, explicitly.