We have a recording of this.
I always wondered if this were true, and apparently it is. Pretty cool that he finally said it.
"FYI: Howard Stern praised WBCN radio this morning, he also mentioned your name and talked about the Big Mattress morning show, and how he cant believe that he is the morning man on BCN now because he used to idolize your show and the station when he was at B.U.. It was at 7:08 am est. It will no doubt be in the Herald on Friday."
-barry
"You got a mention on Stern this a.m. - he was talking about a nice note he received and how, when he was going to BU, he listened to BCN and it was the best station with the best DJ's. He mentioned you, the Mattress, Mishigaas... He remembers thinking he would never good enough to be the morning man on BCN - and how funny it is that he actually is even though it was not live.
Anyway, he gave big props to Boston and to BCN and Boston radio in general..."
Cheers,
-Jeannie
"I was listening to Howard Stern this morning, on my 3 minute communte to work. And he was talking about WBCN in Boston. How when he was at BU, he totally impressed with the station and Charles (I won't even begin to butcher his last name) and the gang. Howard thought he'd never be as good as those guys, nor would he be good enough to be such a cool station as WBCN. Now, he's on that station in the morning, until the end of the year, of course. I guess he brought it up because the station manager sent him a thank you letter for all the great ratings he's brought to their station and spoke well of Howard to the media. It's just funny. He kept saying "WBCN in BOSTON", everytime he would mention the station. I haven't got satellite radio yet, but I'd like to get it, maybe in the coming year. I listened to it once in a rental car and it was really great.
Well, hope all is well in WBCN-land. Say hi to everyone,
-heather"
Thanks to Rusty Lyster and Mike Richard for this radio soundbite.
Comments
Finally I agree with Howard Stern. He is not good enough to have been on WBCN back in those days. He is a mean-spirited gas bag that panders to the lowest common denominator. I find him irksome and tedious, so I don't listen to him. The BCN crew came across as warm (remember those stocking caps: WBCN-Warm Radio), intelligent, accepting and very talented. No one accuses Stern of such things. May his satellite fly out of orbit.
Posted by: Fred | May 12, 2005 6:36 PM
Charles:
You sometimes joke about how you used to be somebody, well I think this goes way beyond that when you are not only mentioned on the most popular morning drive radio show on the planet but praised by the host!!!!!!!!!!! I don't care how long ago it was, that is pretty friggin cool.
signed.... average Joe.
Posted by: memory man | May 12, 2005 6:38 PM
Guess what?!!!
Howard Stent STILL isn't as good as "those guys" :-)
Posted by: ciscokid | May 12, 2005 8:26 PM
Someone teach that linguisa-head to spell "Stern"
Oh- and happy birthday, Cisco! :)
Posted by: almond joy | May 13, 2005 4:37 AM
Thanks for posting the soundbite. That was impressive. Classy all around.
Posted by: choolie | May 13, 2005 8:14 AM
Charles, I stopped listening to BCN when you were replaced by Howard Stern. I couldn't believe that a show as intelligent, funny and clever as yours had been replaced by something as dumb and sophomoric as his. Well, Duane made it a close call ...
And Howard's right. He's never *been* as good as the Big Mattress. At least he's almost admitting it.
Posted by: DCB | May 13, 2005 8:49 AM
Oh come on! The people who are bitching about Stern haven't listened in a decade. Since entering therapy he's become less angry, far more thoughtful and very funny--not to mention bravely political and finally on the right side, er the correct side of most issues. And I say that as someone who actually did what he claimed to have invented, years before, when I was on BCN for a nano-second (thanks to Charles giving me a break). I was constantly harangued by Norm Winer (Old Saxophone Joe) for talking too much — especially for talking about my parents and my sex life---this back in 1974 before Stern was even on the radio...but am I bitter about this? About being fired before I could really take off and perhaps BE what Stern became (though my weak point was not recogizing the value of the people who were flocking around me at the time and who could have been the KEY to my future). YES I AM BITTER!! But I've learned to laugh when Stern claims to have invented everything he does instead of being pissed about it....Charles was great of course and invented morning radio that Howard does....but to get on Stern's case because he replaced Charles in really infantile
Posted by: Michael Fremer | May 13, 2005 10:33 AM
Michael!
Stern is in a good mood because he's shtooping a tall, pretty BLONDE (read B-L-O-N-D-E) bathing suit model who doesn't like to talk about work at home. In fact, from what I can gather, she never steps off the sunny side of the moon, ...which isn't a bad thing. She's young enough to be his daughter AND she's Jewish, so his parents are happy. His kids live with his ex-wife so he doesn't have to live with the day to day squabbling and his wife remarried, so he doesn't have to pay alimony (okay, I'm sure that she's rich in her own right, probably going for the one time payout, if you get my drift).
Life is good for Howard.
But, don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking a good therapist. Find out who he is. : )
Posted by: h | May 14, 2005 11:44 AM
...oh yeah, AND she doesn't want to get married or have kids.
Any guy our age that I know would say, "Ya know, It doesn't get better than THAT." : )
Posted by: h | May 14, 2005 11:49 AM
I have always thought that Charles and 'BCN had a very large influence on Howard Stern. It still rankles me to this day that he continues to claim that he "invented" this form of radio and never gives props to any of those who came before him!!! Charles and the Big Matress will always be the number one morning show in my mind! Howard Stern owes you a LARGE debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, he will never pay up.
Posted by: Hawg73 | May 14, 2005 11:49 AM
howard could never beat friday
mishagas when charles had
mark parenteau,ken shelton
and billy west all in studio
at the same time. laugh out
loud funny.
Posted by: orange | May 14, 2005 6:03 PM
WBCN was an amazing radio station. Many of us who follow this blog are now grandparents(yikes), but we'll never forget listening to the Big Mattress....Charles, Tank, Billy, Duane, et al.
Chuck, you paved the way!
So happy to hear it again on Manao radio.....
Posted by: CathyR | May 15, 2005 8:10 PM