Sirius/Howard settle with CBS (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Gatie]

Looks like a nuisance that was settled for small money (relatively speaking - 2mil is peanuts compared to 100mil):

http://yahoo.reuters.com/stocks/quotecompanynewsarticle.aspx?storyId=urn:newsml:re uters.com:20060526:MTFH96063_2006-05-26_17-40-00_N26222713

But here's the best part:

 

[dailW]

the k-rock shows uncut. awesome.

 

[Tom Brennan]

This and the Blade Runner DVD news have made me forget about that stupid trilogy thing that isn't coming to DVD properly.

Great news indeed!

 

[Monty B]

Excellent!!! I hope this means Channel 102 will now be devoted to the K Rock shows uncensored!!!

 

[dailW]

oh all the great bits they can play.

sal wanting to stay over at howards
crackhead bob sings van halen
hank the angry dwarf in a bunny suit telling a caller to go have sex with something i cant say here.
jackies apology
kinnison
stuttering john questions famous people
all that for 2 million. what a bargain

 

[Chris Dugger]

Whoa....

Just wait a minute....

From the way this looks... Sirrius is paying up 2 mill.... and Stern is paying up something else....

Interesting that just a few months ago, Stern was saying how the case was unfounded... and that it would be thrown out of court... and here he is settling?

Guess he had second thoughts...

Dugger

 

[dailW]

the lawsuit was dead when cbs hired opie & anthony so they still got something out of the deal they get 2 mil and howard gets to play his old tapes.

 

[Chris]

The lawsuit basically died. In the end, CBS got NOTHING. What they received was a royalty for shows that Stern had recorded on CBS.

This was an issue CBS had never brought up (period) in their lawsuit, as it was filed, and it was a new agreement between them, and in effect was a win for Stern. He is now able to play all of his content from CBS with a single royalty payment.

Out of the claims filed against Stern, Stern's end payment was ($0). In seperate agreements, a royalty arrangement was made for Stern's content on CBS, and the matter regarding the possession of tapes was resolved.

But CBS's claims as to damages brought to them by him being on their radio waves was dropped entirely, CBS received nothing. CBS also received no damages from Stern's early cash option with SIRIUS. And CBS also failed to receive legal fees, so they still footed their own bill.

Yes, it was a "settlement" but I can't see how anyone can see CBS winning anything.

This had to be very good news for SIRIUS.

 

[streeter]

How do you know this? Stern's payment to CBS, if any, has not been disclosed, and we might not find out for a long, long time (unless maybe the Smoking Gun gets their hands on the settlement or Howard shoots his mouth off - something he tends to do but hasn't really done with his legal settlements in the past).

I think Channel 99 and 102 are already taken but I really hope something is moved around and a separate channel is set aside for Classic Stern. I'm sure clips and soundbytes from the old shows can be used freely as well pretty soon - it would be interesting to see what kind of royalty agreement CBS has with Sirius (again, it's doubtful we will know). After all, they wanted $40 million last year, although that was for full ownership.

 

[Chris]

It is doubtful, but it is widely assumed that this is the $2M yearly payment SIRI will be making in return for use of all prior Stern content. This would be residual revenue for CBS, and since it was not part of the court case, it would be a new contract, and would be required to be reported. So, if that assumption is true, we will no soon enough. Regardless, the amount paid for past Stern shows will still be on the record as it is not part of the case to my understanding.

Either way, SIRI has to be happy with the resolution, and based on what we have heard from the parties involved I would say that CBS's lawsuit was as many analysts though, not a good deal for them.

 

[Monty B]

Howard officially announced this morning that he now has full access to all 20 years of his UNCENSORED K-Rock tapes!!! This is huge!!!! We now get to hear Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, Sam Kinison, Stuttering John interviews, etc. the way they were meant to be heard!!!!

 

[Tom Brennan]

Vodka, straight up!! Thank yoooooooooooou!!!!!!!!

 

[dailW]

last week when stern was off for vacation the replays were fine but they became redundant now there going to be fun to listen to. i want to hear kinnison go off on bobcat.the vodka straight up line is in my head two three times a day.

 

[Tom Brennan]

I hope Fred puts that back on his soundboard soon.

 

[dailW]

i have a feeling that the vodka line will start showing up thurs. for the roast since it sounds like they will be drinking.

 

[Monty B]

Great add in todays NY Daily News trumpeting the acquisition of the K-Rock tapes!!!

http://photos.imageevent.com/cardodo/misc4/tapes.jpg

 

[Jeff Gatie]

It was one of the first sounds Fred played, right after Howard announced the bar was open.

 

[TedT]

Stern has said in the months before he went on Sirius that he wanted the tapes from CBS and would pay royalties for them.

Looks like he got what he wanted.

 

[dailW]

i read were they might play the old tapes by this sunday but i heard stern say this morning that it might start on the 4th of july weekend

 

[Monty B]

I've noticed they have already slipped in a few of the old phony phone calls.