Howard Stern retired last year

Howard Stern almost retired last year

(CNN) -- Howard Stern says he almost retired a few months ago because he felt he'd proven everything he needed to in radio.

In an interview to air on tonight's "Piers Morgan Tonight," Stern says he knew he had been wildly successful, and said to himself, "Really, why am I doing this anymore? It makes me crazy. I hate getting up early in the morning, and I don't particularly like doing the show."

But, Stern tells Morgan, he is "driven by a neurotic compulsion" to do his show.

He also tells Morgan about his desire to please his parents and says he was "rocked" a few years ago when his father, who worked in the radio business, called him a genius

But Stern says despite his father's praise he remains driven.

"I think it's my identity," Stern says. "Like, this is who I am. This is what I do." Stern says he feels like he "hit a home run" after a particularly great show. "Like I'm Babe Ruth, you know?"
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Morgan also touched on the early days of Stern's radio program, when the show's outrageous stunts had never before been considered for -- and didn't necessarily translate to -- radio.

"It occurred to me that to have a naked woman on the radio would be outrageous," says Stern. "And yet really who would it offend? It's all theater of the mind. You don't even really know if she's naked or not."

Stern also pointed out that people often tell him that his program was the introduction of reality television.

Despite naked women frequenting his studio, however, Stern confessed to being a homebody.

"I don't like to go out," Stern says. "I don't like to leave the house. I like to stay home, but I'm fascinated by human behavior."

One person's behavior he doesn't approve of is Jay Leno's. He says Leno "did a terrible thing to Conan O'Brien" when he went back to the "Tonight Show."

"Jay (Leno) is insane," Stern tells Morgan. "He's not fit to scrub David Letterman's feet. Yes, I don't know why he's beaten David Letterman in the ratings. It's beyond my comprehension. America must be filled with morons who at night lay in bed -- the ones who are watching him. They must be in a coma."

When the discussion turned to politics, Morgan asked Stern what he thinks of the United States and what America has come to.

"I love America," he says.

"I love our freedom. And nowhere could a guy like me, a schlub like me have success with -- where would I get this freedom of speech? They don't allow this anywhere."

News From: edition.cnn.com