<div id="subtitle">Radio chain Clear Channel interested in signing Howard Stern as contract with Sirius expires</div><div><p>Clear Channel Communications Inc., the home of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, said it's interested in signing Howard Stern when the shock jock's contract with Sirius satellite radio expires.</p><p>That would mark an about-face for the nation's largest radio chain, which yanked his show from its stations in 2004 after his raunchy broadcasts were repeatedly subjected to regulatory fines.</p><p>John Hogan, chief executive of Clear Channel's Radio division, told Bloomberg BusinessWeek that Stern would have to accept the government-imposed limits of terrestrial radio.</p><p>Stern, whose five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM Radio Inc. expires at year's end, does not face the same restrictions with Sirius because that show is distributed over satellite radio.</p><p>Although Clear Channel confirmed its interest in Stern to The Associated Press on Monday, the shock jock appeared to dismiss the prospects of signing with the company.</p><p>"Once you come on here, it's actually very difficult to go back," Stern said on the "Bubba The Love Sponge" show Thursday.</p><p>He said he did get an actual job offer.</p><p>"Not a bona fide offer, but people have been making them," Stern said. However, "I can't imagine the day where I would ever work for Clear Channel. That's pretty sure."</p><p>Calls and e-mails to Sirius and Stern's agent, Don Buchwald, were not returned.</p><p>Stern has repeatedly said on his show that he might quit or retire from satellite radio once his contract expires.</p><p>Aside from Clear Channel, it's not clear who in radio would pay up for him.</p><p>There's one satellite radio company left and Stern's already on it. While Sirius' finances have improved, the company might not be able to afford him again at half a billion dollars.</p><p>Free radio also isn't in great shape these days, struggling with steep drops in advertising and high debt loads. Citadel Broadcasting Corp., the nation's third-largest operator of radio stations, has filed for bankruptcy protection.</p><p>Whether or not Stern jumps ship, at least he's got some leverage in his contract talks with Sirius, said Tom Taylor, executive news editor of Radio-info.com, a trade news Web site.</p><p>"The dancing has begun," Taylor said.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=67769631&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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