Editing CBS Radio (section)

=== Howard Stern and Free FM ===
{{further|The Howard Stern Show|Free FM}}
From 1985 to 2005, Infinity/CBS Radio was the home of controversial and top-rated talk show host [[Howard Stern]], who left for subscription-based satellite radio due to increasing [[FCC]] and station censorship. In January 2006, rock star [[David Lee Roth]], [[Rover's Morning Glory]], and talk show host [[Adam Carolla]] replaced [[Howard Stern|Stern]] in most major radio markets, and CBS Radio launched its new "[[Free FM]]" [[hot talk]] format in many of these markets. [[David Lee Roth|Roth]]'s show was cancelled four months later and CBS Radio announced that [[Opie and Anthony]] of [[XM Radio]] would replace Roth on the stations that carried him, despite the irony that the two were fired after the sex act controversy inside of [[St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York]]. Adam Carolla's show was also later canceled.

On February 28, 2006, CBS Radio announced it had filed a lawsuit against Stern, his agent Don Buchwald, and Sirius, arguing that Stern promoted Sirius "to enrich himself unfairly".<ref name="CBS-Tapes">{{cite news |title=Stern Gets Old Tapes, CBS Gets $2M |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stern-gets-old-tapes-cbs-gets-2m/ |publisher=CBS News | date=May 25, 2006 |access-date=September 18, 2008}}</ref> It also claimed that Stern "repeatedly and willfully" breached his contract with CBS, "misappropriated millions of dollars worth [of airtime]" for his own benefit and "fraudulently concealed" his performance-related interests in Sirius stock. The suit, filed in New York State Court, sought [[Compensatory damages|compensatory]] and [[punitive damages]]. Stern anticipated the suit, and earlier that day, prior to CBS' announcement, held a press conference, discussing how CBS added to the media attention, even booking him for appearances on ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' and ''[[60 Minutes]]''. "I made them millions of dollars," Stern argued. "If I was hurting them, why did they keep me on the air for fourteen months? How can you have it both ways?"<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cbs-radio-files-lawsuit-against-stern-sirius-1.576703 CBS Radio files lawsuit against Stern, Sirius] CBC March 1, 2006</ref> When a settlement was announced on May 26, 2006, Sirius gained exclusive rights to Stern's back catalogue of radio broadcasts at [[WINS-FM|WXRK]] from November 1985 to December 2005, totalling almost 23,000 hours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=222720 |title=FMQB: Howard Stern Attains Broadcast Archives From CBS Radio, Settles Suit |access-date=May 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206152324/http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=222720 |archive-date=February 6, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The rights, costing Sirius approximately $2 million, equates to approximately $87 per-hour of tape.<ref name="CBS-Tapes"/>

{{As of|2009}}, the Free FM branding has been discontinued in all markets, and no former Free FM station continues to have a hot talk format. The only remaining show still on air is The Sports Junkies on WJFK 106.7 FM DC. All other shows broke up or were canceled. Some, including The Big O & Dukes Show and The Mike O'Meara Show, have been reborn as podcasts.