WIRED misses the point about Howard Stern

Here’s a WIRED article that argues Howard Stern would be better off – and richer (believe it or not) – if he were podcasting instead of coming to you via satellite.

The writer is assuming a world of absolutes. All satellite, all podcasting, etc. He is not appreciating that these choices are hardly discrete.

In the future you will see the Howard Stern franchise emerge as the equivalent of an audio production studio – a “Paramount Pictures” for audio entertainment.

And if you’re an audio production studio, that means the stuff you makes is not wed to any one channel of distribution. The movie studios earn more from DVD’s than from movie theaters. Howard’s opportunities to distribute his content will not be limited to satellite in the least.

Now that Disney will own Pixar, they will distribute Pixar’s content across every conceivable channel. The Howard Stern “Paramount Pictures” will be no different.

If you don’t understand this notion, you don’t understand what satellite radio stands to become, thanks in large part to Mr. Stern.

And you will be oh so surprised when the voice of Stern returns to the airwaves near you.