Great point, Greggulator. As a (fairly) long-time Stern fan, I've been turned off recently with the smutty stuff; it's not b/c I'm offended or "shocked" by it; I just don't find it all that funny. I still listen mostly everyday though. I wonder what Tom thinks of the Stern Show today vs. 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, when they first moved to Sirius. I feel like it wasn't as filthy when the show first started on satellite.
Anyway, I read an interview with Tom where he talked about the long-form radio bit, and how it's a dying art. Stern's always been quite good with longer bits, and using the medium in brilliant ways, while still keeping the audience interested (I think this is why the Stern radio show is better than the Stern TV segments - when you have the ability to see behind the curtain, it takes away a certain element of surprise and imagination that radio offers). The show - the longer bits, the cast of characters, the idea that Stern, on air, is a bit of an exaggerated version of himself in real life - has definitely influenced people in radio today. NPR sidenote: Besides Ira Glass, I think Terry Gross has mentioned she's a fan of the show, too.