Editing Howard Stern (section)

===1976–1981: WRNW, WCCC, and WWWW===
In his search for radio work following his graduation, Stern took up an offer to work evenings at [[WXPK|WRNW]], a [[progressive rock]] station in [[Briarcliff Manor, New York|Briarcliff Manor]], New York.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=118}} He was unsure of his talent and questioned his future as a professional in the industry, writing "I freaked out. I got real nervous that I wasn't good enough".{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=118}} Stern accepted a marketing role at [[Benton & Bowles]], a New York advertising agency, which he soon "quit without giving notice" in favor of a position in the creative department. He lasted three hours before he was fired "because their personnel department realized that I was the guy who just quit".{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=118}} Stern then worked in Queens as a radio salesman selling advertising time without considerable success. He wrote, "All of a sudden&nbsp;... I realized I had turned down a job in radio". With encouragement from his mother and girlfriend, Stern contacted WRNW for work and agreed to take cover shifts surrounding the Christmas holidays in 1976.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=123}}{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=119}} Impressed with his reliability and professional approach, the station's director hired Stern full-time for a four-hour midday shift for six days a week, for $96 a week.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=121}} After several months, Stern became the station's production director, which lasted until November 1977 when he became its program director for an increased salary of $250 a week.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=123}}{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=122}} To save money, Stern rented a room in a [[monastery]] in [[Armonk, New York|Armonk]], New York.<ref name=rs1990>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/who-is-howard-stern-rolling-stones-1990-feature-83306/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title= Who Is Howard Stern? Rolling Stone's 1990 Feature |date= March 16, 2011 |access-date= February 4, 2022 |first= David |last= Wild }}</ref>

In 1979, Stern spotted an advertisement in ''[[Radio & Records]]'' for a "wild, fun morning guy" at rock station [[WCCC (FM)|WCCC]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], Connecticut.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=125}} He used some morning airtime to assemble an [[aircheck]] with more outrageous bits, including [[Robert Klein]] and [[Cheech and Chong]] records with added flatulence routines and one-liners.{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=45}} Stern was hired for the same salary but worked a more intense schedule. After four hours on the air, he voiced and produced commercials for another four. On Saturdays, following a six-hour show, he did production work for the next three. He also completed duties as the station's public affairs director and hosted a Sunday morning talk show that he favored above playing records,{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|pp=126–127}} as it "represented what I wanted to do on the radio more than anything. Take the average guy and dissect what he does".{{sfn|Luerssen|2009|p=157}} In the summer of the [[1979 energy crisis]], Stern urged listeners to a two-day boycott of [[Shell Oil Company]], a stunt that attracted media attention.{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=48}} It was at WCCC where Stern first met [[Fred Norris]], the overnight disc jockey, who went on to become Stern's writer and producer since 1981.{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=74}} Stern left WCCC in early 1980 after he was denied a "lousy, stinking twenty-five-dollar-a-week raise".{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=128}} At the same time, local rival station [[WHCN]] had assembled tapes and press clippings of Stern and forwarded them to Burkhart/Abrams, a radio consulting firm, to get Stern out of the Hartford [[media market|market]] as a rise in his ratings increased his threat to the station's numbers.{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=51}} The tapes were received by Dwight Douglas, a consultant at Burkhart/Abrams, who offered Stern work in [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], Ohio, but Stern declined.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=128}}

In his search for new work, Stern found an advertised position in ''Radio & Records'' for a morning host at [[WLLZ (FM)|WWWW]], a struggling rock station in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. His aircheck was well received by management who made an offer,{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=52}} but Douglas advised Stern against the move and suggested he wait for an offer from a better station. Stern went ahead regardless and accepted a deal, starting on April 21, 1980.<ref name="act1guide">{{cite web |url= http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/Page&c=FlexContent&cid=1198688730431 |title= The History of Howard Stern Act I Interactive Guide |work=[[Sirius Satellite Radio]] |date= December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100907090019/http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius%2FPage&c=FlexContent&cid=1198688730431 |archive-date= September 7, 2010 |url-status= dead }}</ref> He thought of new ways to improve his show and to be more open on the air, "to cut down the barriers&nbsp;... strip down all the ego&nbsp;... and be totally honest".{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=57}} His efforts paid off with his first industry recognition, winning a ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Award for Album-Oriented Rock Personality of the Year For a Major Market and the debut Top Five Talent Search contest in the album-oriented rock category from radio syndication firm [[Drake-Chenault]], which then distributed the winning radio segments to stations across the country.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=134}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |title= Billboard's Radio Winners Named |date= August 1, 1981 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |page= 25 |volume= 93 |issue= 30 |issn= 0006-2510 |access-date= February 14, 2010 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ASQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT24 }}</ref> Despite the success, WWWW continued to decline in the ratings and failed to overtake the three more popular rock stations in the area. The quarterly [[Arbitron]] ratings released in January 1981 showed no signs of a strong audience, causing the station to change [[radio format|formats]] overnight from rock to country music, to Stern's surprise and annoyance. He lasted another two weeks before "it was time to hit the road again. Somehow, I couldn't see myself as Hopalong Howie".{{sfn|Colford|1997|p=61}} He declined offers to work at [[WXRT]] in [[Chicago]] and [[CHUM-FM|CHUM]] in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada.{{sfn|Stern|Sloman|1993|p=134}}<ref>{{cite web |title= Stern warning |date= September 4, 1997 |first= Jeff |last= Craig |work=[[Jam!]] |access-date= August 12, 2010 |url= http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Artists/S/Stern_Howard/1997/09/04/761973.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150626234705/http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Artists/S/Stern_Howard/1997/09/04/761973.html |archive-date= June 26, 2015 }}</ref>