David Lee Roth was a member of Van Halen

But David Lee Roth is just one of several DJs recruited to take over from Stern in the 27 US areas run by Infinity Broadcasting.

He will be joined by comedian Adam Carolla when Stern leaves for satellite radio at the end of the year.

Stern's show is syndicated across the US, although some stations dropped it.

Stern has been hired by Sirius Satellite Broadcasting, where he will not be subject to scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

DJ Howard Stern is defecting to satellite radio

Communications group Clear Channel was fined $495,000 (�259,400) by the FCC for broadcasting indecency during Stern's show.

It later dropped the show completely, sparking a legal battle between the company and Stern which has since been settled.

The DJ has an audience of about 12 million listeners and revenues of about $100m (�56m), although some big companies have refused to advertise during his show.

"When we set out to find a replacement for Howard Stern, we took the opportunity to cultivate a wide array of talent, from both in and out of the radio industry," said Joel Hollander, Infinity's chairman and chief executive.

Former Van Halen star Roth will begin his show in January, covering areas including New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

Carolla, who is know for The Man Show and Loveline, will cover Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix.