The current state of media and cable television is undergoing a massive revolution, which is great for the show, but terrible for legacy formats. The lessons learned here are important to understand. For instance, Howard Stern's audience has cratered from a peak of 20 million people down to approximately 120,000 listeners today, according to media reports. This dramatic decline highlights a complete disconnect, especially since he maintains a massive payroll of 95 employees and a staggering annual salary of $500 million. The simple truth is that he alienated and betrayed his own audience by turning on them and condemning them for their political support of Donald Trump.
This lack of respect and genuine connection is why we believe his career is ending in an embarrassing way. As for the broader late-night field, former host Conan O'Brien correctly observed that late-night television, which has been around since 1950, is going to disappear completely. This shift is happening because audiences are now completely accustomed to consuming media on their own schedule and time. From the pain of VCRs and the subscription fees of TiVo to the unlimited options of online streaming and podcasts, an entire generation no longer understands the concept of "appointment listening" or "time-scheduled watching."
Ultimately, the failure of these figures comes down to a lack of authenticity, which can never be saved or repaired once the bond with the audience is broken. A prime example of this in politics is Gavin Newsom, who continues his nauseating, daily attempts to imitate Donald Trump on social media. This political shapeshifting is a transparent attempt to distract from his failed governance in California, including his push to hand out commercial driver's licenses to illegal aliens and his obscenely unfair push to illegally redistrict the state. Newsom's performance is utterly inauthentic, which is why we believe he will fail to secure the Democrat nomination, regardless of his party's control over the selection process.
Howard Stern, late night TV, Conan O'Brien, media revolution, appointment listening, podcasting, television's future, woke celebrities, audience betrayal, Gavin Newsom, political inauthenticity, political shapeshifter, California policies, Jack Ciattarelli
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