text: Click to listen to Howard Stern speak out about his divorce and the differences between himself and Charlie Sheen 
   
   For his wide-ranging interview with Howard Stern in the new issue of Rolling Stone, on stands and online in the digital archives (subscription required) this Friday, writer Neil Strauss spoke to Howard Stern for over three hours at SiriusXM headquarters in New York. They discussed Stern's traumatic divorce from his ex-wife Alison, the wild period in his personal life that followed before he met his second wife Beth, former sidekick Artie Lange's suicide attempt, his many years in therapy and his plans for the next five years of his radio show. 
   
   Watch video of Stern interviewing Rolling Stone's Neil Strauss below 
   
   
   
   Right now Stern tapes on Mondays through Thursdays, but that's probably going to change. "When it came down to sort of figuring out what I was really after, I was pretty sure I was going to leave the radio," Stern says about his recent contract renewal. "I thought I'd kind of done what I needed to do. I still enjoyed it, but I also found that I wanted time to do some other things. Right now, my schedule is pretty much the same as it's always been. And then as time rolls on I'll probably do about three shows a week." 
   
   Howard Stern's Universe: Robin Quivers, Crackhead Bob and 14 More People to Know 
   
   
   
   Other highlights: 
   
   • Before the interview Stern spoke with Strauss on the air for nearly an hour, eventually getting the writer to reveal a shockingly personal detail about his girlfriend. "When you got into your girlfriend being dry [during sex], that's when I knew I hit a home run. You hit it, but I brought you there. I knew my audience was going out of their minds. I could sense them all with us. And I did my job." 
   
   
   
   • Artie Lange, Stern's former sidekick who attempted to kill himself early last year and has been off the air ever since, has spoken with Stern recently about returning to the air. "He said to me recently that he would be willing to come on the air and explain what happened and stuff," says Stern. "I don't even feel strong enough within myself or that I'd be doing the right thing by him, because I don't want to do the wrong thing for Artie. I just want Artie to stay alive." 
   
   More from Stern's cover story: Howard on Sex, Therapy and Charlie Sheen 
   
   Video clip courtesy Howard TV On Demand. For more information, go to www.howard.tv 
   
   From the Archive: 
   
   Howard Stern Does Hollywood: Rolling Stone's 1997 Cover Story 
   
   Howard Stern: Man or Mouth? Rolling Stone's 1994 Cover Story 
   
   Who Is Howard Stern? Rolling Stone's 1990 Feature 
   
   Peter Travers' 1997 Review of Private Parts 
   
   Artie Lange Exposed: Rolling Stone's 2009 Feature 
   
   Artie Lange's Life in Photos: From Hometown Comic to Howard Stern's Sidekick 
   
   Artie Lange: The Story Behind the Story ||||| “The biggest criticism of my interviews is that I cut people off. I think my biggest asset is that I cut people off. It sounds like a contradiction, but the fact is you can't allow people to drone on. You are the orchestra leader. You are the one who is saying, ‘My audience wants something new. I've got to get out of this. I gotta keep it fresh.’” 
   
   RELATED 
   
   - Howard Stern Does Hollywood: 1997 Cover Story 
   
   
   
   - Sixteen People In Howard Stern's Universe - From Robin Quivers To Crackhead Bob 
   
   - Howard Stern: Man or Mouth: 1994 Cover Story 
   
   - Who is Howard Stern?: 1990 Feature 
   
   - Howard Stern Speaks Out About Artie Lange, His New Contract and His Divorce in New Rolling Stone Cover Story 
   
  
target: – In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Howard Stern says former sidekick Artie Lange may return to the air for the first time following last year’s suicide attempt. “He said to me recently that he would be willing to come on the air and explain what happened and stuff," says Stern, but adds that he wants to make sure “I’d be doing the right thing by him … I just want Artie to stay alive." More from the interview: On Charlie Sheen: "I sort of admire Charlie Sheen's ability to say f*** you to the world. It's a fascinating car wreck because, you know, how many people are in Hollywood dying for a hit television show? I don't know whether to give him a medal or to throw him in a loony bin.” On the wild days following his divorce: "After my divorce, I realized, ‘Oh, wow, I can go have sex.’ And I was running around, picking up women. Then all of a sudden, it dawned on me that I really didn't need that much sex.” Why he’ll never hire a prostitute: "I'm too germ-phobic." Why he’s not a Rush Limbaugh fan: “Wouldn't he be a lot more interesting if once in a while he was for something that the Republican Party was against? I thought he had a real opportunity with that whole drug-addiction thing to maybe open up and say, ‘Man, I'm as confused as all of you.’ But, no, he has to keep the persona.” Click for more from the interview.