Stern takes on Powell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Radio shock jock Howard Stern, who is moving to satellite radio to avoid broadcast decency rules, traded verbal jabs on air with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell on Tuesday, charging him with nepotism and undermining free speech.

"It is apparent to most of us in broadcasting that your father got you your job," said Stern, who called in while Powell was being interviewed on San Francisco's KGO-AM 810.

Powell shot back that his father, Secretary of State Colin Powell, had nothing to do with his appointment. The FCC chief was nominated to the commission by then-President Bill Clinton (news - web sites) and elevated to chairman by President Bush.
"You can look at my resume if you want, Howard, I'm not ashamed of it, I think it justifies my existence," he said.

Read more here..

Howard could not be reached for comment but he did say a few things on his bulletin board yesterday:

Damn straight..i called in and confronted the
guy...they all got nervous and hung up on me...i was
just getting started... the guy denies everything and
then acts like he's innocent of everything...i'll get
the tape and play it tomorrow...


"i said to the dude why don't you admit that you got
the job through your father...he said i was personally
attacking him...i said no i wasn't ..he said he was
qualified and i said there are lots of guys qualified
but they chose you because of your father and we have
a right to know why you were chosen...i told him i
never got anything because of my father and he got the
commission job the same way gw got out of the draft"

Hear the call here...