It's Very Simple Actually
Excerpts from radioandrecords.com:

Clear Channel...late yesterday announced that it has put an indefinite hold on the airing of the syndicated Howard Stern Show by any Clear Channel station. CC called the decision consistent with its "Responsible Broadcasting Initiative," announced earlier in the day. Six stations are affected by the move: WBGG/Miami; KIOZ/San Diego; WXDX/Pittsburgh; WTKS/Orlando; WTFX/Louisville; and WNVE/Rochester, NY.

The surprise is that Infinity-syndicated Stern was carried on any stations owned by Infinity competitor Clear Channel.

In Clear Channel Radio President/CEO John Hogan's prepared testimony for this morning's House Telecommunications Subcommittee hearing on indecency in broadcasting...[he] says he is very much against the idea of license-revocation hearings over indecency: "Radio stations are valuable assets. We have paid more than $100 million for a station in a large market. For the government to revoke the license of such a station for such a transgression seems to me to be disproportionate. Threatening to revoke licenses will force us to contest any allegation of indecency because the stakes will be so high."

Looks like Mr. Hogan's running scared.

Well, this morning I tuned in to the tape-delayed broadcast of Stern's show on KLSX, just to see what he'd say. For the record, this is probably the first time in several months that I've even listened to Stern's show (gotta hear my Bill Handel and Tony Bruno - you're welcome, Mr. Hogan). Again from radioandrecords.com:

Stern, who referred to..."Fear Channel," noted these were "the last days of The Howard Stern Show"...

Count on Howard to build this up and get the Stern acolytes energized.

...and "spontaneity and creativity must be dangerous things" in today's world. The radio personality also said he wants to appear in front of Congress to apologize for being "a visionary broadcaster," and even joked that Clear Channel had announced that it was replacing the Bubba The Love Sponge program with a show hosted by terrorist Osama Bin Laden "because he is safer to control." Stern took calls from listeners in San Diego and Pittsburgh who were now no longer able to listen to his show...

Next:

  • Who replaces Stern on Miami, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Louisville, and Rochester?

  • Do any competitive radio stations take on Stern in these markets?

  • What happens to morning ratings in these markets?
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