Radio chain drops Stern over $495,000 FCC fine for sexually explicit talk

By Jonathan D. Salant
The Associated Press

	Howard Stern
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WASHINGTON — The nation's largest radio chain dropped the country's best-known shock jock yesterday after federal regulators proposed $495,000 in fines for sexually explicit material on the Howard Stern show.

As part of its stepped-up enforcement of indecency regulations, a unanimous Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Clear Channel Communications the maximum $27,500 for each of 18 alleged violations. Regulators departed from their norm by citing Clear Channel for multiple violations in a single broadcast rather than simply issuing a single fine for an entire show.

John Hogan, president of Clear Channel Radio, said the crackdown on indecency has gotten his company's attention.

"Mr. Stern's show has created a great liability for us and other broadcasters who air it," said Hogan, who suspended Stern in February from the six Clear Channel stations that carried him after complaints about a discussion on his show that included explicit sex talk and a racist remark. "The Congress and the FCC are even beginning to look at revoking station licenses. That's a risk we're just not willing to take."

Clear Channel has 30 days to contest the fine.

In a statement on his Web site, Stern characterized the fine as furtherance of a "witch hunt" by the Bush administration, which he says is punishing him for his criticism of the president.

"It is pretty shocking that governmental interference into our rights and free speech takes place in the U.S.," he said. "It's hard to reconcile this with the 'land of the free' and the 'home of the brave.' "

Stern's nationally syndicated show features graphic sexual discussion and humor. It appears on KISW-FM (99.9) in Seattle and more than 30 other stations — most owned by Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting unit — and draws millions of die-hard listeners.

An Infinity spokesman said the company has no plans to take action against Stern.

The FCC last month proposed fining Infinity $27,500 for a Stern show broadcast July 26, 2001, on WKRK-FM in Detroit.

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