Did Jon Hein Just Join the Millionaire’s Club?

Photo: The Howard Stern Show

Howard played a clip from Page 69, the gossip segment on The Howard 100 News, in which Jason and Will reported that Jon Hein had sold the rights to his Website, jumptheshark.com, to TV Guide, allegedly for more than $1 million. Jon came into the studio and said he and some of his college friends came up with the concept of “Jumping the Shark” and that he created the site a decade later.

Jon said TV Guide wants to integrate its television and magazine content with the Internet and they thought Jump the Shark would be a perfect way for them to do this. Jon also noted that TV Guide wanted to hire him last fall to run the site full-time, but he turned them down because he didn’t want to leave his job with the show.

Jon said the reactions he’s gotten from his coworkers about his news have been lukewarm, pointing out that Scott DePace, for example, congratulated him, but also told him how he couldn’t believe he got that kind of money for coming up with “a stupid Website.” Scott then came into the studio and acknowledged he was jealous of Jon when he made the remark, which Howard said he figured was the case.

Will also came into the studio and insisted he wasn’t angry at Jon for getting the money, even though in the Page 69 clip he commented how Jon should use his cash to “buy a new personality.” Despite the overall resentment he received, Jon said Ralph gave him the coldest reaction of all. Jon explained that, as soon as he heard the news, Ralph immediately asked him when he plans on leaving his wife and kids. Jon said he got the sense Ralph had it out for him for years, remembering the first time he was on the show to promote Jump the Shark back at KROCK and Ralph informed him after his interview how anyone could’ve come up with his idea.