Other than Howard Stern and his infamous FCC battles, most other broadcasters avoid poking the agency that regulates the industry.  But in recent days conservative talk radio has gone after Commission chairman Julius Genachowski for appointing Mark Lloyd as the FCC's chief diversity officer.

As Inside Radio first reported last week, Lloyd's writings while working for the left-leaning Center for American Progress were critical of consolidation, and suggested stations with a one-side approach pay a fee to support public broadcasting.

Premiere Radio Networks host Rush Limbaugh believes the Obama administration will use the open localism proceeding as an "end run" to a "too obvious" attempt to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.  "The way they're going to try to get rid of conservative talk radio is with localism, and what they want is to divest ownership and have more minorities own radio stations," Limbaugh tells listeners.

Fellow Premiere Radio host Glenn Beck agrees there's a "diabolical" plan to go after conservative talk radio.  "They will do it through what's called 'localism' and ‘diversity,’” Beck says.   “The final piece of the argument will be against these giant corporate broadcast groups that have too much power.”

Limbaugh says the strategy is likely to "scare to death" broadcasters, but he believes it ultimately won't clear likely First Amendment legal challenges.

The FCC has so far declined to discuss such allegations, and it remains to be seen whether it's a valid concern or simply red meat for listeners.  But as Howard Stern proved for years, taking on the FCC can be a successful ratings strategy.