Bristol spies say Smith, who was dumped by ESPN in April 2009, is closing in on a deal with the World Wide Leader that would initially have him doing a radio talk show on ESPN-1050.

Smith yakked on ESPN-1050 from 2005-2008.

"This is the first step to Stephen A getting back in the ESPN family, which means he'll will also be doing television at some point," a source said.

An ESPN-1050 official would not offer any comment concerning Smith, including if he's on the verge of signing a contract.

Looking at ESPN-1050's current lineup, which has been stable, it's not clear where Smith would fit.

Smith, brash, outspoken and often criticized, had a meteoric rise on the Bristol Clown Community College campus.

He first appeared on ESPN in 2003 and was seen on a variety of shows. Smith, mugging for the camera and blowing hot air, made his mark as an NBA studio analyst. His controversial style, and ability to break stories, separated him from the rest of his colleagues.

The Bristol faculty was so impressed that in 2005 they gave him his own show, "Quite Frankly." The show, which opened to great fanfare and hype (Smith described himself as a cross between Bill O'Reilly and Larry King), lasted 17 months.

When "Quite Frankly" was cancelled, Smith publicly whined about the show never having a "definitive" time slot. It debuted at 6:30 p.m. and eventually was bumped to 11 p.m.. After its cancellation it was all downhill at ESPN for Smith.

Nonetheless, Smith didn't completely burn his bridge to ESPN. That's why he appears so close to returning.

Smith, a former Daily News sportswriter and Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist, initially worked the noon to 2 p.m. slot at ESPN-1050 with Brandon Tierney. In 2007, he moved to the 2 p.m.-4 p.m. shift. His stint at the station ended in 2008.

Smith most recently worked a morning show for Fox Sports Radio. He left the gig in December, less than a year after he started.