NEW YORK (AP) - Shock jock Howard Stern claimed that his former employer CBS Corp. is "bullying" him and threatening to sue him for financial damages.
Speaking at a hastily arranged news conference in New York Tuesday, Stern said CBS accused him of reaching a "secret agreement" with his new employer, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., even though he disclosed it to CBS executives and discussed his intentions to move to Sirius on the air.
Stern also disputed CBS's claim that he caused them financial damages by discussing satellite radio on the air, saying it was a legitimate story about the media and helped lead to high ratings for his show and sold-out advertising time.
Stern and his lawyers indicated that no lawsuit had been filed yet.
CBS declined to make any comment.
Stern held the news conference after The New York Post's widely read gossip column Page Six published an item Tuesday saying CBS was on the verge of filing a lawsuit against Stern.
Stern moved his popular morning show to satellite radio last month after years of railing against decency restrictions imposed on terrestrial radio by the Federal Communications Commission.
CBS's radio division, CBS Radio, had formerly been known as Infinity Broadcasting. CBS Corp. split from Viacom Inc. at the beginning of the year.
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