Sirius Loves Sanjaya

His singing is often as out of touch as his hairstyle, but America doesn't seem to mind. American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar has been spared through several elimination rounds.

His eclectic ways have made him a cult favorite, despite his vocal shortcomings. A polling system that lets fans vote for who they want to stay on -- instead of who they want off -- has helped Sanjaya survive. Another factor helping Sanjaya's cause is that Sirius (Nasdaq: SIRI) talk show star Howard Stern has encouraged his audience to discredit the popular show, broadcast on News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox network, by keeping Sanjaya on.

Most people feel that Stern is saving Sanjaya. I see it differently. Sanjaya is saving Stern. Think about it. Now that Stern is playing to smaller paying audiences at Sirius, when was the last time he made headlines the way he is now?