Rosie O'Donnell to host satellite radio show

[June 25, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Rosie O'Donnell is returning to the airwaves.

The former talk show queen will host a daily radio show for Sirius XM Radio Inc. Launching this fall, "Rosie Radio" will feature the 47-year-old comedian-actress discussing news and entertainment as well as chatting with occasional guests. O'Donnell said she was approached by the company after she appeared on Howard Stern's Sirius XM show earlier this year.

"He's been very encouraging," said O'Donnell. "After I did his show, they called and asked if I was interested. I don't really listen to radio, so I started thinking about it and listening. I asked if they could possibly do it at my house because that would really make it convenient for me with four kids, and they said yes, so I was like, 'Wow. Let's try that.'"

O'Donnell, who left "The View" in 2007 after a single tumultuous season, plans to broadcast her two-hour call-in radio talk show from a studio being built inside the guesthouse on her New York property where she raises four children with partner Kelli Carpenter. She said she's looking forward to regularly working again after being out of the spotlight.

"I think it'll be good for me," said O'Donnell. "I've been lucky. I've had seven years of early retirement. All my kids are in school now, so all day long I have nothing to do. This was the first year that they were all in school all day, and I found myself very bored. I was saying to Kelli, we either need to get another kid or I'll have to go back to work."

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On the Net:

http://www.rosie.com/

http://www.sirius.com/

[Associated Press; By DERRIK J. LANG]

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