A pair of New York "shock jocks" who persuaded two listeners to have sex in a cathedral have been fired from their nationally-syndicated radio show.

Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia sparked hundreds of complaints when they challenged listeners to have sex in public places, awarding points for the most outrageous.

The stunt has also prompted an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which could revoke the licence of radio station WNEW-FM, which broadcast the show.

St Patrick's Cathedral is one of New York's landmarks

The Opie and Anthony Show was also carried by 17 other stations across the United States.

"Based on recent events, the Opie and Anthony Show has been cancelled, and will be replaced by other programming beginning Friday," a statement from WNEW said.

Hughes and Cumia were earlier suspended, as were the station's general manager and programme director.

The couple accused of having sex inside New York's landmark St Patrick's Cathedral have been charged with public lewdness.

Their tryst was described on air as it happened by one of the show's producers, who has been charged as an accomplice.

A lawyer for the defendants has said the couple - Brian Florence, 37, of Quantico, Virginia, and Loretta Lynn Harper, 35, of Alexandria, Virginia - were just simulating sex.

Responsibility

A public outcry followed the incident. The 350,000-member Catholic League urged the FCC to revoke WNEW's licence.

But the league's director William Donohue has now said he will no longer push for the licence to be revoked now that the DJs have been removed.

He was "delighted" with the outcome, he said.

"I'm very, very happy. It is an example of corporate responsibility in an age of corporate irresponsibility."

Hughes and Cumia had been fired by a Massachusetts station in 1998 when they ran an April Fool's Day announcement that Boston mayor Thomas M Menino was killed in a car crash.