The Happiness is Contagious

Photo: The Howard Stern Show

Howard began the show announcing what a great mood he was in. Howard explained that he found out recently that not only did SIRIUS enjoy a 200 percent increase in subscribers last year, but that XM Radio seems to be feeling the pressure because of it. Howard reported that XM was so worried about their service that they spent $196 million on ads last year alone. Howard added that one of the spots – which features Ellen DeGeneres, Snoop Dog and David Bowie hanging out at the XM studios – is misleading, noting that, unlike at SIRIUS, none of the stars who appears on XM actually works in the building on a regular basis. Howard also mentioned that XM execs are so desperate that they signed “a horrible deal” with Oprah, who he said will be broadcasting on the service just half-hour a week.