Fans often ask, how old is howard stern? They spot vintage clips or hear new shows on satellite radio, and they wonder. It can feel tricky to find the right info.
Howard Allan Stern was born on January 12, 1954. We show his current age, his college radio station start at Boston University, and his rise on the Howard Stern Show. This post clears up the guesswork.
Read on.
Key Takeaways
- Howard Stern was born on January 12, 1954. He turned 71 on January 12, 2025.
- He began at Boston University’s college radio, then worked at WRNW (1976–82), WCCC, WWWW, WWDC (1981–85) and WNBC (1982–85). His show went national in 1986.
- He wrote Private Parts in 1993, selling over 1 million copies. The 1997 film grossed $41.2 million. He signed a $500 million deal with Sirius XM in 2004.
- He judged America’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2015. He married Beth Ostrosky in 2008. He fosters about 200 cats each year.
- He holds a net worth above $500 million. Forbes named him the highest-paid media personality in 2015 with $95 million in earnings.
How Old Is Howard Stern?
Howard Stern has a birth date of January 12, 1954, so you can clock his exact age with an age calculator. Flip the page to see how many candles his radio career has sparked.
Date of Birth: January 12, 1954
Howard Allan Stern arrived in New York City on January 12, 1954. City clerks recorded his birth in local archives and public records. That entry marks the start of his life story. It signals the rise of a future shock jock.
The Howard Stern Show later crowned him king of all media.
Ben and Ray Stern, Jewish emigrants, welcomed him in Queens. Jackson Heights served as his early scene. The neighborhood shaped his early talk style. He later rose as a radio show host and TV persona.
Current Age
That January day in 1954 set his age meter in motion. He now stands at 71 years as of January 12, 2025. Fans still tune in to the howard stern show on terrestrial radio and Sirius XM.
A simple day counter confirms every milestone in his private parts story.
He adds every year with pride, waving off any notion of slow down. His radio show still sparks talk, from morning commutes to late night streams. This age crowns him king of all media, a shock jock with decades of airwaves behind him.
Early Life and Education
He roamed Jackson Heights streets, soaking up every bit of city chatter as a kid. He chased airtime at a college radio station and earned his communications degree from Boston University.
Childhood in Jackson Heights, Queens
Howard Stern grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. His parents came as Jewish emigrants from Poland and Austria-Hungary. They ran a small shop beneath their second floor flat.
He tuned a portable radio each day, dreaming of his own radio show. The district buzzed with street sounds, spicy smells and many tongues. He held a toy mic and pretended to interview guests.
Schooling and College Years
He studied at a Hebrew school in Jackson Heights. His parents came from Jewish emigrant families in Queens, he found pride in his roots. He joined debate clubs and track teams at South Side High School, he honed his voice there.
His high school diploma arrived in 1972.
He moved to Boston for college, he enrolled at Boston University. In college he joined the student-run radio station, he learned to use sound gear. He earned a communications degree in 1976.
His academic honors included magna cum laude with a 3.8 GPA.
Career Beginnings
He cut his teeth behind a mixing console at a small college radio station, testing scripts into a clunky audio recorder, and fine-tuned his shock jock flair under the hum of transmitters.
He then jumped to a string of tiny market broadcasters, where he turned every dead air into headline-making sparks.
Early Jobs in Radio: WRNW, WCCC, WWWW
Howard Stern started his radio journey at Boston University. He mixed shows on the college radio station, testing his style with a basic audio input device.
- At WRNW in Briarcliff Manor, New York, Stern worked from 1976 to 1982, filling afternoon slots with his blunt humor. He sharpened his shock jock persona on that FM terrestrial radio station.
- He then moved to WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut, where he spun records and sparked laughs, boosting ratings with his candid approach. The station’s control room gave him a chance to master the audio console that drives a live broadcast.
- His next stop came at WWWW in Detroit, Michigan, as he tweaked bits and built a loyal following. That radio show gig deepened his skills, setting the stage for national syndication.
Breakthrough at WWDC and WNBC
He cut his teeth at WWDC in Washington, D.C., from 1981 to 1985. The station gave him a mid-day slot on terrestrial radio. He built the howard stern show brand with wild stunts and candid talk.
His mix of pranks and raw dialogue made him a rising shock jock.
Moving to WNBC in New York City upped the stakes. He hosted an afternoon radio show from 1982 until his firing in 1985. His shock jock voice drove ratings up, but drew FCC fines. Station bosses sacked him after skits sparked controversy.
Rise to Fame
Howard cut his teeth at a campus radio spot, then he stormed FM with a bold radio rebel act. His edgy jokes caught fire, and syndication sent his voice into cars coast to coast on Sirius XM Radio.
Success with The Howard Stern Show
The Howard Stern Show went national in 1986 via syndication. It blasted from New York City to 60 markets across the US. It peaked with 20 million listeners tuning in. Stern mixed interviews, stunts, and soundboard bits.
Robin Quivers lent sharp wit and calm to each broadcast. The shock jock turned up the volume on terrestrial radio.
Major career milestones follow.
Transition to WXRK and Syndication
After success in New York, Stern took a leap to WXRK in 1985, kicking off a 20-year stint on the FM band. He made the show a king of all media by moving from one dial to many cities.
Stations from Boston to San Francisco joined his morning show lineup when it entered syndication in 1986. Networks ran it on terrestrial radio until 2005.
Major Career Milestones
He penned the Private Parts book and turned it into a hit film that knocked it out of the park. He then jumped to the satellite service SiriusXM and took a judge seat on America’s Got Talent, keeping the buzz alive.
Private Parts Book and Film
Howard Stern wrote Private Parts in 1993. The publication topped the New York Times best‐seller list and sold over 1 million copies. Fans loved the shock jock memoir and got a peek at his radio show life.
He turned the memoir into a film adaptation in 1997. The film opened at number one at the US box office. A box office tracker counted $41.2 million in domestic gross. The triumph led him to move to Sirius XM Radio.
Move to Sirius XM Radio
Stern signed a five-year, $500 million deal with sirius radio in 2004. His show left terrestrial radio. Fans could stream his uncensored talk on sirius satellite radio as howard stern on demand.
The network launched two channels, Howard 100 and Howard 101, in September 2005. Many tapped a mobile app to catch every moment.
He fully moved to satellite service in 2006. The switch boosted subscription model, and it reshaped audio broadcasting. The shock jock found fresh freedom. He embraced a subscription plan that paid for creative risk.
Audience measurement tools showed steady growth in paid users.
America’s Got Talent Judge Role
Howard Stern served as a judge on America’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2015. He sat on the NBC judging panel with Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel. His shock jock style clashed with opera singers and skateboard magicians on live audition stages.
He applied his media personality flair and television personality charm to every critique. He rolled out radio show wit right into the TV studio.
After 2015 Stern left the show to focus on his Sirius XM radio empire. He pressed the buzzer for weak magic tricks, cheered strong vocalists, and tested dancers with sharp humor. He used a live voting system to judge acts, then shared opinions on his mic.
He proved that a radio host could rock a TV spotlight.
Personal Life
He walks the Westchester lawns with his wife and their rescue dogs, and he drops off toys at a local animal shelter. Turn the page to see how he juggles dad duties, surprise guests, and charity drives.
Family and Relationships
Howard Stern wed Alison Berns in 1978. They welcomed daughters Emily (1983), Debra (1986), and Ashley (1993). The couple divorced in 2001, but kept a friendly bond.
Stern plays dad on air, often calling his girls during the howard stern show. The broadcaster juggles shock jock duties with family calls. Each conversation adds heart to his career.
Marriage to Beth Ostrosky Stern
He tied the knot with Beth Ostrosky on October 3, 2008. Beth built a career as a media personality before they wed. Their rooftop vow exchange in Briarcliff Manor felt both chic and warm.
She joins the shock jock on his radio show now and then, sparking laughs.
They foster around 200 cats each year. They host litters at home and stage adoptions for North Shore Animal League America. They support the animal league with funds and service. Their home now houses many rescue pets, making it a busy, happy space.
Howard Stern’s Net Worth
Howard Stern holds a net worth that exceeds $500 million. He signed a five-year deal with Sirius XM Radio that paid him $500 million. That pact stands as the biggest contract in radio.
The shock jock rose to king of all media thanks to his bold style and huge contract.
Forbes named him the highest-paid media personality in 2015. He earned $95 million that year. That haul came from the Howard Stern Show, ads, and voice gigs. Fans still tune in for his live calls and candid takes.
Other Contributions
He wrote a dozen laugh-out-loud memoirs, poured part of his Sirius XM paychecks into pet shelters, and fueled literacy drives, so read on to see the full list.
Author of Multiple Books
Howard Stern published Private Parts in 1993. It sold over 1 million copies. The volume drew on his wild radio stunts and on-set drama at WNBC. That raw style set a tone beyond the howard stern show.
He released Miss America in 1995. That volume riffed on his Boston University college radio station days and shone on early shock jock stunts. Fans then waited until 2019 for Howard Stern Comes Again.
That book came with audio segments on CD and more candid tales from his king of all media journey.
Philanthropic Efforts
Charity work drives Stern’s giving heart. He partners with North Shore Animal League America, that animal rescue, to save cats. Each year he fosters about 200 cats in his Palm Beach home.
He bought a $52 million house there in 2017.
Fans of the howard stern show hear him use his shock jock status on the radio show to push pet adoption. That non-profit organization gains funds, air time, and a bucket load of purrs.
Legacy and Influence
Howard Stern shook up mass media with his raucous host style, put shock jock on the AM dial, and his battles with the FCC still echo on satellite waves, so stick around to learn more.
Impact on Radio and Media
The shock jock uprooted norms on terrestrial radio with the Howard Stern Show. It drew massive crowds and tested FCC’s rules. Fans and rivals called him the king of all media. The Radio Hall of Fame welcomed him in 2012.
2006 marked his leap to satellite radio. He built two channels, Howard 100 and Howard 101, on a streaming service. Listeners streamed uncensored bits around the clock. This shift reshaped syndication and digital broadcasting.
Recognition and Awards
After he shook up terrestrial radio, the industry showered him with honors. Billboard named him Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year for eight straight years. He became the first broadcaster to own the #1 morning show in New York City and Los Angeles at the same time.
FCC slapped him with $2.5 million in fines, crowning him the most fined broadcaster ever.
Takeaways
Howard Stern still shines at 71. Fans first heard him on a college station. He faced hefty fines from the FCC, then soared on satellite radio. Millions tuned in to his audio program.
He even judged on America’s Got Talent and gained new followers. That wild ride cements his place as King of All Media.
FAQs
1. How old is Howard Stern?
Howard Allan Stern was born on January 12, 1954, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. He is 69 years old and a top media personality.
2. What is The Howard Stern Show?
The Howard Stern Show is his main radio broadcast. It premiered on terrestrial radio and made him a famous shock jock. He teamed with Robin Quivers, to deliver big laughs and bold debates.
3. Where did Howard Stern study?
He went to Boston University, and earned a communications degree. He hosted a show on his college radio station. That early gig gave him real fire in his belly for radio.
4. Why is he called the king of all media?
He cracked open screens, with his movie Private Parts. He led TV spots on The Late Show, and Son of the Beach. He even ran his own HowardTV network, online. That mix crowned him the king of all media.
5. Who is Robin Quivers?
Robin Quivers is his right hand on The Howard Stern Show. She joined in 1981, and grew into a sharp radio personality. She balances Stern, and shapes the wild debates.
6. What other projects has Howard Stern done?
He wrote the memoir Howard Stern Comes Again. He cut Private Parts: the Album, and took The Adventures of Fartman on tour. He hosted Butt Bongo Fiesta, and jumped into a Super Bowl halftime show bit. He fought the FCC’s fines, battled Clear Channel Communications, and changed American radio.







