THE ICONIC Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM is set to be canceled after a stunning 20-year run, sources exclusively told The U.S. Sun.
Stern, 71, who has had a mega-bucks contract for decades at the subscription satellite radio provider, will likely cut some sort of deal for Sirius to keep his catalogue upon his exit, sources said.
“Stern’s contract is up in the fall and while Sirius is planning to make him an offer, they don’t intend for him to take it,” one insider said of the impending end to the shock jock’s latest five-year contract.
“Sirius and Stern are never going to meet on the money he is going to want. It’s no longer worth the investment.”
The insider added that fans may expect Sirius to strike a deal for his library.
“But as far as him coming back to doing the show, there’s no way they can keep paying his salary,” the source said.
“After you saw what happened with Stephen Colbert, it’s like they just can’t afford to keep him going.”
Another source said Stern’s political leanings are also not working in his favor.
“If Sirius isn’t going to give Stern a good offer, I don’t think it would have anything to do with his ratings,” the source claimed. “It’s more likely everything to do with the political climate.”
Stern has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.
Stern famously interviewed presidential hopeful, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the run-up to the 2024 election.
Harris’ decision to appear on Stern’s show was slammed by many Republicans who accused her of after avoiding a number of mainstream media appearances.
SiriusXM and Stern did not respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
MEDIA ICON
Stern rose to fame in the 1980s when he launched The Howard Stern Show.
He did a 20-year run with New York City’s WXRK where his show first became nationally syndicated into 60 markets with 20 million listeners at its peak.
Stern moved over to SiriusXM in 2006 and has been there ever since.
While he first cut his teeth as a shock jock, discussing all sorts of taboo topics, later in his career, Stern became known for his in-depth celebrity interviews.
From Lady Gaga opening up about her past drug addiction, to Courtney Cox popping in at the last minute and opening up about her failing marriage to David Arquette, Stern has a knack for getting guarded celebs to say much more than anyone expected.
OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES
Outside of his long-standing, lucrative radio career, Stern created a blockbuster movie, Private Parts, which was a wild autobiography of his rise to fame.
Howard Stern’s Career
Howard Stern has had a prolific radio career, but he’s also had success in film, books and TV.
Stern’s love affair with radio began when he was a student at Boston University, where he worked at the school’s radio station before graduating in 1976.
After college, he had a series of on-air jobs in Hartford, Connecticut, Detroit, Michigan and then Washington D.C., where he met his eventual sidekick Robin Quivers.
It was in D.C. where Stern began honing his shock jock schtick.
They were fired and the pair landed at WNBC in New York City in 1982.
In a few short years at WNBC, Stern butted heads with management and was ultimately axed.
The duo joined WXRK-FM in New York in 1985 and they were there until 2004 when they joined SiriusXM.
Howard has been at SiriusXM since, with his contracts estimated to be between $80 million and a $100 million a year over the last two decades.
He also starred in and was the executive producer of his autobiography and blockbuster movie Private Parts, which debuted in 1997.
He’s also authored several books and was a judge on America’s Got Talent for three seasons.
In the 1997 flick, Stern famously aired his gripes with previous employers, including, and especially, with WNBC.
Stern has also published several books, including the book form of his autobiography, Private Parts.
He was also a judge on America’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2015.
Stern has been married to actress, model, and animal rights activist Beth Ostrosky Stern, 53, since 2008.
He was previously married to Alison Berns from 1978 to 2001, and they share three daughters: Emily, Debra, and Ashley.
