Howard Stern is getting Sirius on the airwaves

He's not on the payroll until Jan. 9, but Stern is already making himself at home. He's a big fish in an even bigger pond.  Although Stern has two channels all his own, Sirius broadcasts 120 more, including 55 channels of sports, news and talk. Plus 65 channels of commercial-free music, and a lot of it is live.

Stern: That's … you know who that is?  That's INXS. That’s the band INXS. See, this is what's great. This is what's great about satellite radio.  You could walk through the halls … I would go in and interview those guys right now.

Couric: Yeah?

Stern: Yeah.

Couric: And they wouldn't mind?  You don't think the host of the show …

Stern: I don't care, that's the beauty of it. I'm obnoxious. 

Sirius has become a sanctuary for die-hard classic-rock purists, like former New York DJ Meg Griffin and original MTV VJ Alan Hunter. And where else are you likely to run into Sen. Bill Bradley (NJ) and ’70s pop icons Tony Orlando and Dawn.

Couric:  Finish these sentences. My greatest accomplishment is?

Stern: My children.

Couric: My girlfriend Beth loves me because?

Stern: She swears because it's all about me.

Couric: How …

Stern: Which …

Couric: …boring.

NBC VIDEO The King of All Media moves on Dec. 7: Radio superstar Howard Stern talks with “Today” host Katie Couric about his biggest regrets and his future hopes as he moves to Sirius satellite radio. Today show

Stern: … is weird. I don't think it's all about me. I think she loves me because I care about her. I'm sensitive. That might be shocking. I'm really great in bed. [Laughs] I'm being sarcastic. I mean, really … that can't be pleasant.

Couric: You know what?  This is going to run in the breakfast hour, so …

Stern: I'm sorry.

Couric: … let's not even go there, Howard. The FCC is good for?

Stern: Nothing.

Couric: You don't think government, should government have a role in deciding what is appropriate or what is indecent …

Stern: Of course not.

Couric: … on the airwaves?

Stern: Of course not. You know …

Couric: Never?

Stern: … you know where government used to have that approval?  Nazi Germany.

Couric: Do you think, though, there are … I mean, you have three daughters, Howard.  Aren't …

Stern: Yes.

Couric: … some things that are just really over the line and that are completely inappropriate?

Stern:  No. I've answered this question a million times. When my kids were young I wouldn't have them listen to my show.  I'm a parent, and I regulate what my kids listen to.  I don't need the government to be the parent.  If I'm a crappy parent, then I need the government involved.

Couric: So you're basically saying change the channel if you don't like it?

Stern: That's right. That's the way it's got to be.

Couric: My biggest regret is?

Stern: My divorce. I wish that didn't go down like that. That's real sad to me. You know I can't believe I'm [Laughs] divorced. But it's sad.  But, you know, you get married young and sometimes things change … in my case it did.

Couric: Do you think you'll ever get married again?

Stern: I don't think so. I think I screwed it up once.

Couric: You didn't really screw it up.  I mean you had a happy marriage …

Stern: I had a happy …

Couric: … didn't you? And you've got three beautiful daughters …

Stern: Yeah, but I can't imagine the biggest blow to me was that marriage not working out.  That just flipped me out.

Couric: I will miss terrestrial radio because?

Stern: Well, because I spent my entire career there. I feel I was responsible for building it into a powerful medium and changing the medium and I'm especially going to miss that feeling of hitting that button — putting the microphone on and instantly having access to millions and millions of people.  I never would have imagined that all of this would have happened.  You know, who would have imagined satellite radio?

Couric: What if it doesn't take off in the way you hope it does?

Stern: Well, you know, I'm a believer that satellite radio, whether I'm on it or not, will take off.  I think right now I'm the catalyst to perhaps get people to subscribe.  And besides, you ask me all of these questions, I'm a dumb radio guy.  What do I know?  I don't know the answers. [Laughs] I just want to broadcast and do jokes and have fun, and that's really where it's at for me.

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