Rumor: Howard Stern About To Sign $600MM Deal With Apple

http://www.cultofmac.com/rumor-howard-stern-about-to-sign-600mm-deal-with-apple/72025

Rumor: Howard Stern About To Sign $600MM Deal With Apple

Could Apple be planning on signing a deal with legendary radio shock jock Howard Stern to exclusively host a new iTunes show? That’s the rumor amongst Sirius investors, and it’s food for thought, if not terribly likely.

Here's what the pontificators are missing:

1.) In 2004, Sirius had only 600 thousand subscribers. They met with Howard stern and asked him how many subscribers he could bring with him.
2.) Sirius signed Howard to a 5 year contract where his pay was / is tied to their number of subscribers.
3.) Sirius issued 56.3 million shares of stock to Stern in 2006 and 2007 based on those subscriber numbers.
4.) In 2008, Sirius was able to buy XM.
5.) Today Sirius XM has more than 20 million subscribers.

So, I would say it's proven that Stern can deliver subscribers.

Not only that, that makes him the first one able to transform the Free landscape of pod casting to a successful subscription model. And THAT is what interests Apple.

If even 15% percent of those subscribers followed stern to iTunes at $6 per month, Apple would collect $18 Million dollars a month, or $216 Million dollars a year, for doing what? Hosting his mp3 files on their servers?

And doesn't iTunes host explicit pod-casts now? I know they do because almost all the podcast I listen to every week have at least certain episodes listed as explicit right on iTunes.

Asking Apple for Permission to Hear your MP3s

Thought I might add some MP3s to my iTouch while at work the other day, but I did not have permission. I'd forgotten to make sure it's OK with Apple first.

Dang... forgot to buy my MP3s from the Apple Store also.

Guess I'll just plug in my Android, and see what proprietary phone erasing software they force me to install, and which store they require me to shop at...

Huh? It just asks me if I want to plug it in as a thumb drive, and put the songs on it I DECIDE?

Must be a security loophole.

Healthcare Reform Process Summary

Democrats: "We need health care reform"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Give us a majority and we'll do it better"
Democrats: "Done, you have majority of both houses"

12 years later, health care is irrefutably worse in every respect for every single person in the United States

Democrats: "We need health care reform"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Americans are tired of partisan politics!"
Democrats: "OK, let's compromise"
Republicans: "OK, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done"
Republicans: "Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas"
Democrats: "Done. Time to end debate"
Republicans: "Too liberal, we need more debate, we will filibuster to prevent you from voting"
Democrats: "OK, we'll vote--sorry guys, debate is ended. It's time to vote on the bill"
Republicans: "Too liberal, we vote no"
Democrats: "OK, it passed anyway--sorry guys."

One month later

Republicans: "Wait--wait, OK, we have less of a minority now so we can filibuster forever."
Democrats: "Sorry, the bill already passed, we need it to pass the House now"
Republicans: "But we have enough to filibuster"
Democrats: "Sorry, the bill already passed, we need it to pass the House now"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You haven't listened to our ideas! You've shut us out of this whole process!"
Democrats: "Sorry, show us your proposal"
Republicans: "Smaller government"
Democrats: "That's not very specific"
Republicans: "OK, here's our detailed proposal--It's our common-sense ideas we spent 12 years not enacting"
Democrats: "OK, we'll add a bunch more of your ideas"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You included all these back-room deals"
Democrats: "OK, we'll get rid of the back-room deals"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You're using obscure procedural tricks to eliminate the back-room deals!"
Democrats: "No, we're using reconciliation, which both parties have used dozens of times for much larger bills"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! You're pressuring Congressmen to vote for your bill! Scandal!"
Democrats: "It's called 'whipping', it's been done since 1789"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Can't you see the American people don't want this?"
Democrats: "This bill is mildly unpopular (40-50%), doing nothing (your proposal) is extraordinarily unpopular (4-6%)"
Republicans: "We need to start over! We need to start over!"
Democrats: "We should really consider voting--"
Republicans: "Liberal fascists! Start over! Clean slate! Common-sense! America!"
Democrats: "OK, suit yourselves, here it comes"

Stolen from Kevin Darty who stole it from

http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1590674&cid=31565522

Who stole it from Digg.