NEW YORK – Clear Channel Communications, the nation’s largest chain of radio stations, sued Howard Stern’s distributor Wednesday for $3 million, accusing the shock jock of refusing to heed federal indecency rules.
Earlier this year, Clear Channel dropped Stern from six markets, including San Diego and Pittsburgh, after federal regulators complained about his raunchy humor. Stern and his distributor, Infinity Broadcasting Corp., responded by suing Clear Channel for $10 million.
On Wednesday, Clear Channel answered with a lawsuit of its own against Infinity.
Andy Levin, chief legal officer for Clear Channel, said the show was pulled because Stern and Infinity would not promise that the show would “conform to the law.”
“We simply weren’t willing to put the future of our radio station licenses in the hands of Mr. Stern or Infinity,” Levin said in a statement. “Fortunately, our contract doesn’t require us to do that.”
A Stern company, One Twelve Inc., was also named in the Clear Channel lawsuit.
A Stern spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment. A spokeswoman for Infinity declined to comment.
San Antonio-based Clear Channel has agreed to a $1.75 million settlement with the Federal Communications Commission to resolve indecency complaints against Stern and other radio personalities.
In June, Stern announced that his show would go on the air in nine new markets owned by Infinity, including four where Clear Channel stations had dropped it.
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