'Dr. Laura' says she's leaving radio

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Laura Schlessinger says she plans to leave her U.S. satellite radio talk show at the end of the year, because she wants her "First Amendment rights back."

She made the announcement Tuesday on CNN's "Larry King Live." The decision comes following a controversy Aug. 10 in which Schlessinger repeatedly used "the N-word" while speaking with a black caller to her advice show.

"At the end of the year, when my contract runs out, I've decided not to do a radio show anymore," she said. "I want my First Amendment rights back, which I can't have on radio, without the threat of attack on my advertisers and stations. I would like to make it clear that I am not retiring -- I'm too young for that -- and I'm not quitting. I will be stronger and freer to say my mind through my books, my YouTube Channel, my blog and my Web site. And I'll be on TV more, because I'll have the freedom to speak my mind."

The controversy cost Schlessinger, 63, at least one radio sponsor, when Motel 6 said it would no longer advertise on the show, the liberal media watchdog Web site Media Matters said.

"Thank you for taking the time to write to us," the motel chain said in an e-mail response to an inquiry, Media Matters reported. "We have ended our relationship with the Dr. Laura show, and there will be no future Motel 6 advertising on this program."