Claim: Howard Stern was fired in 1985.

Howard Allan Stern -LRB- born January 12 , 1954 -RRB- is an American radio and television personality , producer , author , actor , and photographer . He is best known for his radio show The Howard Stern Show , which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005 . Stern has broadcast on Sirius XM Radio since 2006 . Stern first wished to be on the radio at five years of age . He landed his first radio jobs while at Boston University . From 1976 to 1982 , Stern developed his on-air personality through morning positions at WRNW in Briarcliff Manor , New York , WCCC in Hartford , Connecticut , WWWW in Detroit , Michigan , and WWDC in Washington , D.C. Stern worked afternoons at WNBC in New York City from 1982 until his firing in 1985 .   In 1985 , Stern began a 20-year run at WXRK in New York City ; his morning show entered syndication in 1986 and aired in 60 markets and attracted 20 million listeners at its peak . Stern won numerous industry awards , including Billboard 's Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year eight consecutive times , and is the first to have the number one morning show in New York City and Los Angeles simultaneously . He became the most fined radio host when the Federal Communications Commission issued fines totaling $ 2.5 million to station owners for content it deemed indecent . Stern became one of the highest paid radio figures after signing a five-year deal with Sirius in 2004 worth $ 500 million . In recent years , Stern 's photography has been featured in Hamptons and WHIRL magazines . From 2012 to 2015 , he served as a judge on America 's Got Talent .   Stern has described himself as `` King of All Media '' since 1992 for his successes outside radio . He hosted and produced numerous late night television shows , pay-per-view events and home videos . His two books , Private Parts -LRB- 1993 -RRB- and Miss America -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number one and sold over one million copies . The former was made into a biographical comedy film in 1997 that had Stern and his radio show staff star as themselves . It topped the US box office in its opening week and grossed $ 41.2 million domestically . Stern performs on its soundtrack which charted the Billboard 200 at number one and was certified platinum for one million copies sold . In 2012 , Stern was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame .