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Up Close with
Tim Sabean, Program Director, The Howard Stern Channels
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After a lengthy and
successful run in programming and operations in terrestrial
radio, Tim Sabean left the comforts of what he knew so well
for the new challenge of programming the Howard Stern channels
for Sirius Satellite. Having been connected with Howard for
many years as OM at WYSP/Philadelphia (one of the first
stations to carry Howard in syndication), the transition has
been smooth and exciting, but not without its share of bizarre
moments. But what would you expect having to juggle talent
like Howard, Bubba The Love Sponge and Scott Ferrall.
You’re one year removed
from programming on terrestrial radio and now you’re firmly
ensconced in the programming of Howard 100 and Howard 101.
What were the biggest challenges you faced initially?
First of all, you’re just
forced to think differently, being here. That was the
biggest revelation coming in here because it was new
technology. It’s totally new bringing the Howard Stern
show to this platform and, initially, finding a staff,
learning the systems here, learning about the new technology.
There are a lot of different departments that support the
channels, more so than in terrestrial radio, and it’s
creating an infrastructure that supports the shows and
learning the new rules on how to really think out-of-the-box
and develop unique, unduplicated content on a daily basis.
What programming
philosophies were you able to bring with you and apply to your
current position at Sirius?
The first one is just do great
radio. I’ve always been taught to do great radio from
day one, and you do whatever you can to put the absolute best
product on the air everyday, while working together as a team.
I’ve got great people surrounding me in all departments.
I’m able to work with great shows like the Howard Stern
Show, the Bubba The Love Sponge show, the Scott
Ferrall show, and Howard 100 News, and a
programming staff that’s next to none. It’s just one
of the greatest opportunities, and an exciting opportunity to
create the stuff. And building momentum is a real big
part of these channels -- that they sound like there’s
something happening here every single day and every single
minute that they’re on the air.
Speaking of personalities,
how difficult is it balancing your day-to-day duties while
dealing with the strong personalities like Howard, Bubba and
Scott?
It’s a total awareness sport.
It’s constant communication with the talent, along with
doing the regular day-to-day stuff. My job is to really
interact with the talent to make sure that I’m satisfying
their needs. I look at myself as the pit crew for them
to do their job -- making sure they have all the tools
necessary; that they need to know what’s going on in the
channels; that they’re up on everything so they can
communicate properly with the subscribers, the listeners; and
that we’re doing the right thing at the right time.
Sirius and The Howard Stern
Show was recently offered to the world for a two-day free
trial. How has the initial feedback been?
The feedback was excellent.
The response to the free trial was larger than any of us ever
really expected through emails and through phone calls.
There were not only calls from the United States and Canada,
but calls and emails from around the world, from other
countries like Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, Pakistan, The
Netherlands, and I could go on and on and on. It was
just amazing how a lot of these Stern fans who haven’t heard
him in a while are now reconnecting with him and were able to
listen to him on their computer without a radio.
The show always has had its
share of bizarre moments, most recently with The Who’s Pete
Townshend walking off the show? What have been your
favorite bizarre show moments?
My favorite, absolute
favorite moments are when Howard and the subscribers are
happy. That’s been the best experience of the last
year, but things that have stood out in my mind are the
bizarre moments like with Riley Martin, a guy who
allegedly has been abducted by aliens, or Elliot Offen, who is
always fun and interesting to listen to. The
Craptacular or The Dice Clay Concert that we aired
just last Saturday night was absolutely insane. The
Farting Specials or even some of the more staid stuff like
musical performances from JoeWalsh andThe James Gang, or
TheDixie Chicks, Cheap Trick, Bruce Hornsby,
Train, or Roger
Daltry performing with Fred (Norris) the other day.
Those are incredible moments that happen on the show and on
the channels.
Also the guests that stop
by. Guests like Donald Trump, Alec Baldwin,
Borat (Sacha Cohen), Carmen Electra, Robert
Duvall, or Sam Simon. It goes on and on. Scott Ferrall has some of the
largest players and biggest coaches in sports on at night with
him, and Bubba, has his cast and crew of guests, like Hulk
Hogan, and it just goes on and on. It’s an
unbelievable platform for entertainment that you can’t get
anywhere else, and it’s amazing to be around.
Now that Howard is in
possession of his old shows, what special programming can we
expect to hear?
One of the things we’ve been
doing, just initially, is we kicked it off with the All
Request Weekend where we went and surveyed listeners and
fans of the show. We asked them for their favorite
moments they’ve heard over the past twenty-three years of
tapes that Howard has. We did the All Request Weekend
on Labor Day weekend. From there we evolved it into Master
Tape Theater, where we have a gentleman, Sir Hardin
Thicke, hosting it every Friday. We play back some
of the best shows that have taken place over the last
twenty-three years. Coming up in the near future,
we’re working on building The History Of Howard which
will create a unique opportunity which will span over the
course of two weeks. Also biographies and a lot more
stuff to be announced as time goes on here.
The sitcom The Bitter
Half recently debuted on Howard 100. Will we get more of
these types of shows?
Absolutely. One of
the greatest opportunities that I’ve seen here, and pieces
of unduplicated content that are unique, was The Bitter
Half. Sam Simon (one of the original developers of The
Simpsons), as a favor, did this for Howard and created
this unique piece of programming. It was absolutely
amazing the time and the effort that went into this thing.
Sam worked for months on building this thing, writing it and
producing it, along with Howard. When we did present it
on the air, it was amazing to watch people and how they
listened to it. It was reminiscent of the days of radio
back in the ’40s and ’50s where people would sit around
the radio and actually almost watch their radio, like with The
Shadow and so forth. They kind of did the same thing
with The Bitter Half.
Of all the shows on Howard
100/Howard 101, what are your favorites?
The Howard Stern Show.
Bubba’s Show. Scott Ferrall’s Show. Howard 100
News. And all the derivatives that we do off these shows
like The Riley Martin Show or Stern Superfan Fan
Round Table, The Intern Show, The Sex Connection.
We’re constantly creating new programming, yet we have an
opportunity on this platform to create. That’s one of
the greatest things about being in satellite radio, and with
Sirius Satellite Radio and The Howard Stern channels, we’re
able to create content and we’re not bound by ratings where
you have to stick and locked into a certain format.
We’re able to stretch and to see what works, what doesn’t
work, and to introduce new product to our subscribers and our
listeners on a regular basis. It’s fun, and everyday
is different seeing how these things work. The latest
thing we just did was the live concert with Dice and Artie
Lange last Saturday night. Something that came about
and we presented it, and the response to those things are
absolutely incredible.
Will any of Bubba’s crew
be branching out for shows of their own?
Bubba and I have had several
conversations, along with Scott Ferrall, about doing specials
on their own, absolutely. We’ve done a military show
with Brent Hatley, Bubba’s producer, and discussed
topics and issues that pertain to the military and enlisted
service men and women. There’s a lot more that we have
planned with them for the upcoming year.
After a year at Sirius, how
difficult would it be to go back to terrestrial radio?
It’s not about going back to
terrestrial radio. It’s about the opportunity here,
focusing on the ability and having the opportunity to create
unique, unduplicated content. I got into this business
because I love the opportunity to hang out with creative
people, and I see that on a day-to-day basis here. The
list of talent that is here at Sirius is next to none, and to
have the opportunity to work with these people, to interact
with these people and to create with these people on a
day-to-day basis, and then to be able to sit back and listen
to your efforts, is pretty rewarding.
** QB Content by Mark
LaSpina **
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