Howard Allan Stern was born on January 12, 1954, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, to Rae Schiffman, an inhalation therapist, and Bernard Stern, who co-owned a cartoon/commercial production studio with his father. Stern's grandparents were Jewish emigrants from Poland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who brought with them a rich cultural heritage that would later influence Stern's work.
Stern's first foray into radio was at Boston University, where he volunteered at the college radio station, joining forces with several other students to create an on-air show called the King Schmaltz Bagel Hour, a tongue-in-cheek takeoff on the popular King Biscuit Flour Hour. This inaugural broadcast was marked by controversy, as it included a comedy sketch called "Name That Sin," a game show where contestants confessed their worst sins, a move that would foreshadow Stern's penchant for pushing boundaries.
Stern graduated from Boston University in 1976 with a impressive 3.8 grade-point average and a bachelor's degree in communications. His early radio career saw him take on a paying gig at a 3,000-watt station in Briarcliff Manor, New York, where he began to experiment with his unique style, combining talking on the phone with playing music. This unconventional approach was met with initial skepticism, with Stern recalling that it was "unheard-of" and "outrageous" at the time, but ultimately proved to be a key factor in his success.
