THR's 35 Most Powerful People in Media

While Stern, 58, lacks the mass reach his terrestrial radio gig once offered him, the New York-born shock jock has had no trouble stirring the pot with his now long-running SiriusXM satellite show.

PHOTOS: THR's 35 Most Powerful People in Media

In recent months, he has coaxed The Talk host Julie Chen to spill about her “generous” prenup with CBS’ Leslie Moonves and then-Oscar producer Brett Ratner to dish on his sex life days before resigning from the gig.

Despite murmurs of etirement, in late 2010 the famously brash married father of three renewed his contract with SiriusXM through 2015. In May, Stern, the self-declared king of all media, will take a seat at the judges’ table on NBC’s America’s Got Talent.

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His leverage was so great that the network not only agreed to pay him about $15 million but also moved the show to New York to accommodate him and his dislike for travel. “I’m going to be Piers Morgan on steroids,” Stern has promised, referring to the former judge.