Stern Signs Off

Shock jock Howard Stern bid the public airwaves goodbye Friday, and thousands of supporters gathered in Manhattan for a colorful sendoff that included a giant inflatable penis and at least one bare-breasted female fan, Reuters reported. "We broke every rule known to radio and mankind, and I'm proud of that," Stern told the crowd. "And I don't think this ride is over yet. Let the freedom bell be rung, and let it be rung by a stripper!" Stern, who moves his blue audio review to Sirius Satellite Radio on Jan. 9, could be the catalyst that pushes the medium into the mainstream, said Syracuse University pop-culture professor Robert Thompson. "There is a pretty big audience who would not only follow him to satellite, they'd follow him to Neptune," Thompson said.