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Stern says goodbye

The star of radio's "The Howard Stern Show" isn't just saying goodbye to terrestrial radio, he's also signing off from cable's E! Entertainment Television.

The raunchy show's last original episodes will air next month, ending an 11-year run of porn stars, amputee beauty pageants and Mr. Stern's various "Wack Pack" members, Reuters News Agency reports.

After taping more than 2,000 episodes of his daily radio broadcast, the nationally syndicated radio personality is looking for a new television home, with sources indicating Spike TV is at the negotiating table.

Officials at the Viacom-owned cable channel declined comment.

Mr. Stern will tape his final episode for E! July 8, less than half a year before he's scheduled to leave terrestrial radio for Sirius Satellite Radio. E! retains rights to air library episodes of "Stern," its highest-rated program, which will continue in its regular late-night slots beginning July 11.

Spike TV could be a potential home for Mr. Stern, given that its programing mix is targeted toward the young male audience he has lured throughout his career. The self-proclaimed king of all media already has a cartoon series based on his early years in development at the channel, but Spike's initial stab at an animated late-night programming block flopped last year.

The E! broadcasts judiciously edited Mr. Stern's shows for public consumption. Yet it's unclear how Spike or any other traditional cable outlet would handle Mr. Stern's even raunchier work on the unregulated Sirius airwaves.

A racier version of Mr. Stern's show could find a home on premium cable, but HBO has discontinued its discussions with Mr. Stern, according to sources.

Representatives for Mr. Stern could not be reached by Reuters for comment.