As part of their coverage of the Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the U.S. (from April 15-20), Sirius is launching the Papal Archives Channel, featuring seldom heard Papal recordings from the past, including the earliest known audio of a Pope.

The Papal Archives Channel (ch 119) will air on Monday, April 14th through Sunday, April 20th, showcasing rare archival recordings of Masses and speeches from historic Papal Visits - which will include Pope John Paul II's visits to the U.S. in 1979, 1987 and 1995 and Pope Paul VI's visit to the U.S. in 1965.

Sirius listeners will also hear the earliest known audio of a Pope's voice, an extremely rare recording of Pope Leo XIII, the Holy Father from 1878-1903, singing Ave Maria at the Vatican circa 1902.

The Papal Archives Channel will be one of three Sirius channels dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI's historic visit to the U.S., which includes the Catholic Channel (ch 159), and Papal Playback (ch 143) which will offer re-broadcasts of key moments from Pope Benedict's current trip.

Sirius is launching a new daily morning call-in show on its Indie Talk channel, featuring journalist and former prosecutor Vinnie Politan.

It's a bit of a twist of fate, because Indie Talk replaced Court TV Radio on Sirius channel 110. And Vinnie Politan hosted a show from 6am - 9am ET on Court TV Radio until the channel's demise.

Now Politan returns to his original timeslot on the same channel, only now with an expanded range of discussion. His show launches on Monday, March 24th and will air live weekdays from 6am - 9am ET on Indie Talk (ch 110).

Every morning Politan will take calls from listeners, gauge their reactions to breaking news, issues and buzz. Topics on the show will be caller and headline-driven and span the worlds of politics, entertainment, and beyond.

Aside from being a Court TV reporter and anchor for many years, Politan was a prosecuting attorney in Bergen County, New Jersey. Politan was also an AP Award-winning reporter and anchor for Central Florida News 13 in Orlando, FL, where he covered the 2000 presidential election.

Bubba the Love Sponge is being sued by local Tampa radio hosts Todd Schnitt, and his wife Michelle Schnitt, over comments made over the air by Bubba.

The suit alleges that Bubba called Schnitt, who is a radio personality for Clear Channel's WFLZ and WFLA, a "lying piece of crap," "a kid Schnitt snitch" and "one of the top four or five people behind our arrest and the trial of the hog deal."

Schnitt also accuses Bubba of calling his wife Michelle a degrading name.

"I didn't say anything defamatory or slanderous like he made allegations of. Really bad stuff like touching kids or something I would never go there," Bubba the Love Sponge told WTSP-TV. "This is somebody who got his feelings hurt that's exactly what it is. He gets on the air everyday. He's a public figure."

"He gets on the air everyday. He's a public figure. It's okay for him to put billboards of OJ and Britney Spears up and his whole show is based on TMZ," Bubba added. "Unfortunately what he doesn't understand is that he and his wife are public figures. I can call them names and be outlandish and be Bubba the Love Sponge, be the people's hammer and say it like it is all I want."

View the court filing here.

[WTSP-TV via AllAccess]
Thanks Derek!

Jim Breuer will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day tonight with a show packed full of shamrocks, shillelaghs, and shenanigans... oh, and performances by Black 47, Flogging Molly, Paddy Maloney of the Chieftains and, thankfully, bagpipers fresh off the New York City parade route.

Jim, Pete Correale and the crew will also be joined by Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan, Colin Quinn's three Irish cousins and others.

The show airs today, March 17th at 4pm ET/1pm PT on Sirius Raw Dog Comedy (ch 104).

And if you miss it because of too many Jameson shots, don't worry, there's an encore replay at 9pm ET/6pm PT... you should be sober by then, right?

Sirius today is launching "Client 9 Radio" - a channel that they says will "explore the breaking news, facts, fallout, psychology, and implications of the scandal."

Vinnie Politan, the fan-favorite former Court TV Radio host, will be live in studio throughout the weekend to take calls from around the country, and offer expert legal advice and insight.

In addition to the live call-in shows, Client 9 Radio will include segments contributed by many Sirius hosts and experts from various fields such as:

• Judith Regan (host of Sirius' The Judith Regan Show) with Rachel Marsden (ex-girlfriend of Wikipedia founder who sold his stuff on eBay after he broke up with her via his website)
  
• Judith Regan, again, with private eye Vito Colucci, Jr. on catching spouses in the act
  
• Bill Bennett (host on Sirius Patriot) with Senator John McCain discussing the story
  
• Andrew Wilkow (host on Sirius Patriot) with New York GOP Assembly Leader James Tedisco
  
• Larry Flick (host on Sirius OutQ) with Ed Koch
  
• Ron Silver (host on Indie Talk) with Alan Dershowitz
  
• Alex Bennett (host on Sirius Left) with Dennis Hof, owner of Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Nevada on prostitutes and politicians
• And, of course, The Playboy Radio Morning Show will talking to high-priced prostitutes about the scandal
  

Client 9 Radio will air starting today, March 14th at 5pm ET until March 17th at midnight on Sirius channel 126.

Bubba the Love Sponge decided to a favor for a local Tampa man who's been living on the streets for the past 3 years - an "extreme hobo makeover."

Scott Weeks, 36, whose last address was a lot on US-41 in Lutz, FL, was provided with the typical provisions from a "makeover" show: a personal grooming services and new clothes.

But Bubba and crew took the "extreme" makeover a little further by also providing Weeks with hotel accommodations, assistance in locating and paying any outstanding fines, help obtaining a Social Security ID card, a Florida driver's license, and any necessary legal services.

"We took him and cleaned him up, helped him get his affairs in order, and now with the added assistance of our wonderful listeners, are working on getting him some work as a mason," said Bubba. "We're offering to help this gentleman with his alcohol problem, help get him a job, and get him back into living a fuller and more productive life."

Check out a before/after photo of Scott Weeks after the jump...

Sirius Satellite Radio will be airing a special interview tomorrow with Stephen Colbert on their non-partisan independent political talk channel, Indie Talk.

Colbert's interview with Pete Dominick, host of the new show on Indie Talk (ch 110), "Pete's Big Mouth," will air on Thursday, March 13th at 4pm ET/1pm PT. Dominick can also be heard on Sirius' Raw Dog Comedy (ch 104).

At one point during the interview in discussing Sirius' Indie Talk channel, Colbert says, "...It's a new hope is what it is. You are the Barack Obama of radio."

Read more about Sirius' political talk lineup here.