Howard Stern extends Sirius contract for 5 years

Howard Stern announced on his satellite radio show Thursday morning that he'll remain at Sirius XM for another five years.

Other than the length, no other specific details - notably, money - were revealed although Stern did note that the show would be available on various platforms besides satellite radio, including the iPhone, Android phones, and Blackberrys.

On the air, Stern said said, "I've signed a deal. ... I started to look at all the companies, Sirius included. And Sirius has been very, very anxious for me to re-sign," he said in comments posted on MTV News. "And I know deep down in my heart, I kept thinking I'd like to stay here. Because more than anything, I think what we've built hasn't been finished yet."

Stern's last show before going on vacation was scheduled for next Thursday and -- if you were of a mind to believe the reports, rumors,tweets and even Stern himself -- it very well may have been the last one. Expressing frustration at the hours (a long-standing frustration)and even the pay -- if that's conceivable -- he threatened to pull up stakes, and head elsewhere, possibly to the web.

In one rumor that began as a tweet from a fan and took on a life of its own, Stern was reported to be in negotiations with Apple for an iTunes show worth a reported $600 million. Even Sirius XM's chief financial officer, David Frear, told analysts the other day that an Apple move was conceivable (even though Apple programming standards would have almost certainly become an impediment.)

Frear, in fact, infuriated Stern -- or at least Stern acted infuriated -- when he suggested Stern might have to take a pay cut. Under pressure to cut programming costs -- like all publicly traded entertainment companies -- there was certainly valid speculation that Sirius would have to take a Weedwacker to Stern's $500 million package, which pays him an estimated $20 million per year, with the balance going to other production costs.

But the loss of Stern would have likely had a devastating impact on Sirius, which has added 20 million subscribers over the Stern years. While not all of the growth came from Stern, certainly much did. And for that reason' Stern stays until 2015 and got his raise as well.

Stern - who had an extended flirtation with the producers of "American Idol" earlier this year to join the panel of judges - says he told Sirius chief Mel Karmazin "I wasn't sure that I wanted to continue working," he said, as reported by MTV. "That I had thoughts about retiring, going out on top. I feel we've done an amazing thing here at Sirius, and when history looks back on us it will say we gave birth to a new form of radio."

Two terrestrial radio companies had made offers - but terrestrial was never believed to be an exit ramp for Stern because of content issues, which led to record fines and a long and bitter battle with the Federal Communications Commission before he joined Sirius (beyond the reach of the FCC) five years ago.

And - if you can believe this - Stern said he was even talking with his alma mater, Boston University, about becoming a professor - Professor Stern? - although what he would have taught, exactly, must now be left to the imagination.