HOWARD Stern’s top staffers are asking around for new jobs at SiriusXM, as they believe the show will be canceled in December.
The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal the private conversations being had at the streaming radio provider, as Stern‘s $100 million contract – which has yet to be renewed – inches closer to an end.
An eyewitness at SiriusXM’s offices this week claimed they overheard Stern show radio personality Fred Norris pitching himself for a new gig.
“Fred was walking with another guy at Sirius and said to him, ‘Let me know, because I don’t know what’s going to happen come January, I might be looking for a job,’” the eyewitness claimed.
Meanwhile, the source was also told that staff members are expecting the show to officially end at the end of the year.
“After conversations with [Stern show producer] Gary Dell’Abate and others, it sounds like they aren’t expecting to re-sign with Sirius,” the insider said.
The U.S. Sun reached out to the Howard Stern show for comment.
INSIDE STERN & SIRIUS’ NEGOTIATIONS
Stern has notably been broadcasting from his sprawling Hamptons home since the pandemic, with some occasional exceptions.
As The U.S. Sun was the first to exclusively report, the 71-year-old shock jock and his superiors at SiriusXM were not expected to find common ground when his $100 million-a-year contract concludes this year.
In August, sources informed The U.S. Sun that Stern’s SiriusXM program seemed to be facing cancellation.
The satellite broadcaster was unlikely to meet Stern’s financial demands when his current five-year contract expires.
An insider revealed, “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.
“Sirius and Stern are never going to agree on the money he is going to want. It’s no longer worth the investment.”
The source also noted at the time that SiriusXM was expected to pursue a separate agreement to maintain control of Stern’s extensive show archive.
“But as far as him coming back to doing the show, there’s no way they can keep paying his salary,” they clarified.
Referencing the difficulties within the media sector, the insider remarked, “After you saw what happened with Stephen Colbert, it’s like they just can’t afford to keep him going.”
STERN FINALLY RESPONDS
In September, Stern addressed The U.S. Sun’s report about 45 minutes into his show.
The shock jock had been on an extended summer break, after he blamed a cold for missing the prior week’s show, despite SiriusXM heavily promoting his return and that he would address the speculation that his show was done for.
Far into his return to the air, Stern addressed The U.S. Sun’s report that his show was headed for cancellation this year.
“Here’s the truth. Sirius XM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future,” he stated.
“They’ve approached me, they’ve sat down with me, like they normally do, and they’re fantastic.”
Stern recounted that SiriusXM executives asked him, “Howard, would you stay? Under what conditions do you want to stay? How often do you want to do a show?”
“And you know, we’ve been talking. We’ve been talking,” he added, confirming that a contract for him to continue had not yet been signed.
The radio icon then read directly from The U.S. Sun’s initial report, appearing to validate its accuracy.
He quoted, “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,” before adding, “Which is weird. Well, fine, whatever. I might not have, but now I have to take it.”
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.
-By Jessica Finn, Exclusives and Investigations
SIRIUSXM EXECS WEIGH IN
A week before Stern’s belated return, SiriusXM’s Chief Content Officer, Scott Greenstein, commented at a conference.
He said that while they would “love for Stern to stay,” nothing was confirmed at that point.
“It certainly has to make sense, but we feel pretty good that we’ve done this before,” he said, concluding, “We’ll see where it goes.”
Meanwhile, SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz also verified they had not finalized a deal with Stern yet, but added she was “confident [they would] get to the right place” with the radio icon.