As I predicted, as Howard Stern's Sirius deal winds down, traditional broadcasters are sending out the message that they want him back. Badly. Here's a good piece on it:
But Howard is too smart to go back to Clear Channel. Clear Channel not only would make big money from Howard Stern ratings, but Howard as a direct competitor would severely hurt them. So signing Howard and then trying to bury him with old style FCC type censorship probably appeals to them. Clear Channel doesn't want a hugely successful Howard Stern.
Yet Howard doesn't need Clear Channel anymore. His time on Sirius helped free him of all his old contracts and obligations. It also provided proof positive that his absence on broadcast killed radio station ratings across the board. Now he can create his own network of traditional radio stations from scratch and build in a legal warchest to fight the FCC if they come after him. Trust me, if Howard returns to traditional broadcast, censorship will not be a problem.
Neither will money.
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