Howard Stern Blows Off Chance To Back Anthony Cumia

Howard Stern refused to make a comment supporting ousted SiriusXM Host Anthony Cumia when a caller to The Howard Stern Show attempted to ask him about the controversial firing earlier this week.

When asked by the caller to his show for comment Stern deflected the issue saying that he (the caller) should take it up with the fired host's partner.

He then went on to talk about how he has no friends in radio (though he joked about some Facebook relationships with a few).

Stern, in his usual style, then went on to imply that anyone working at SiriusXM should be thankful for being able to bask in his reflected spotlight.

The remarks show Stern's lack of understanding of his own position and a complete unwillingness to acknowledge that anyone else on SiriusXM actually has devoted fans. The firing of Cumia was arbitrary.

It happened due to Twitter comments not something that occurred on air.

The Twitter remarks were harsh but no harsher than things Stern says and does nearly every day.

In not supporting Cumia, Stern turned his back on a less powerful host who was persecuted by a company for no reason other than the potential for backlash (which if it came at all was much less than the backlash caused by Opie and Anthony fans when Cumia was fired).

Stern also ignored the fact that while their audience is not as big as his Cumia and Greg "Opie" Hughes were one of SiriusXM's few drawing cards.

It may not matter to Stern if SiriusXM fires him over similarly silly charges. It's surprising however that the host did not step up in support of free speech which he has always supposedly been a proponent of.