MOVE COULD JUMP-START SATELLITE RADIO INDUSTRY.

Byline: Fred Shuster Staff Writer

Howard Stern says he's seen the bleepless future and it's satellite radio.

The king of raunch is expected to induce millions of his listeners to follow him from his nationally broadcast radio show to Sirius, where, as with cable TV, he will no longer be policed by the Federal Communications Commission.

``There's a lot we don't know about satellite - like, if you can say anything you want on the air, will it still be interesting,'' said KLSX-FM (97.1) host Tom Leykis. ``If every other word is the f-word, does it have any impact anymore? It's never been done before.''

But the New York-based Stern, who's been fined multiple times for broadcast indecency, crows he'll be able to do ``my show, my way.''

The long-expected announcement of Sirius' $500 million, five-year deal with Stern came Wednesday as the radio industry gathers in San Diego for the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention. Sources say Sirius won't increase its $12.95 monthly fee, but will add commercials on the Stern program, which will begin Jan. 1, 2006.

``This is something Howard has to do,'' said Michael Harrison, editor of the radio trade mag Talkers. ``The FCC's restrictions on radio are so antiquated and strangling that Stern's protest has a degree of sincerity. It's inevitable satellite will define contemporary radio. It's going to be big and accessible and mainstream - and that process just sped up with a megastar like Stern going there.''

The move also raises questions about satellite's ability to draw major talent. This week, XM Satellite Radio, Sirius' competitor, launched shows hosted by veteran National Public Radio anchor Bob Edwards, and New York City shock jocks Opie and Anthony, who were fired last year by Infinity for describing a couple having sex in a church.

Along with Stern, Sirius - which has some 600,000 subscribers to XM's 2.5 million - hired football commentator John Madden and is developing a channel programmed by rapper Eminem. The network also airs National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League games.

Satellite radio faces the same challenges cable TV once did. It must lure customers into paying for something they got for free. Without Stern, satellite radio was cable without ``The Sopranos.'' With Stern aboard, it could be akin to David Letterman picking up and heading to HBO.

``Land-based radio is subject to FCC guidelines covering public airwaves,'' explained Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at California State University, Sacramento. ``The FCC acts on complaints from the public. With pay radio, one assumes there won't be any complaints because the listeners are paying for the privilege of tuning in.''

The government has long been irked by Stern, who's so elated about the move that his Web site is counting down the time left on his contract with Infinity Broadcasting.

Of the $4.5 million in fines proposed by the FCC for broadcast indecency since 1990, more than half was charged to stations airing the shock-radio pioneer. This year, Stern, the top-rated English-language morning host in Los Angeles and with roughly 8 million weekly listeners nationwide, was yanked in six cities. Sirius' broadcast system will offer Stern across the country without the specter of government intervention.

``I envision this similarly to the first rock 'n' roll station on the FM dial - it's that revolutionary,'' said Adam Jacobson, radio editor at Radio & Records weekly. ``This puts satellite radio on an equal footing with AM and FM. It's going to be like cable TV where it provides a gigantic alternative. This will have long-standing reverberations throughout the industry.''

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com