Howard Stern’s return to SiriusXM radio has been delayed, fueling fresh speculation about a potential cancellation.
Stern was slated to resume his eponymous SiriusXM show Tuesday morning. However, a message posted by the show’s social media accounts read simply: “Howard Stern will now speak Monday, September 8.”
Leading up to his highly anticipated return, social media posts promised Stern would have a big announcement. But listeners will be forced to wait until next week to learn more.
The Independent has contacted SiriusXM and Stern’s representatives for comment.
Stern’s postponed comeback comes amid rumors that SiriusXM may be preparing to pull the plug on his long-running show.
The shock jock’s contract is up for renewal soon, and SiriusXM doesn’t expect he’ll take them up on a new offer, sources told The U.S. Sun.
“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 claimed, adding that SiriusXM was not able to keep up with Stern’s salary demands.
Those rumors prompted the show to clap back with a slew of ads promising a big reveal upon Stern’s return.
“The tabloids have spoken: Howard Stern fired, canceled, is it really ‘Bye-Bye Booey’? Chaos is swirling at The Howard Stern Show,” a narrator said in a promo for the show that ran on SiriusXM. “Did staffers talk to the press? Are writers withholding their best jokes? Nobody knows what’s going on or who to trust.”
“Now we can reveal all the questions will be answered, all the truths will be told by the one man truly on the inside,” it continued. “Howard Stern will speak Tuesday September 2.”
The Howard Stern Show experienced a surge in popularity after it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005.
In 2004, Stern became one of the highest-paid radio figures in the U.S. after signing a five-year deal with SiriusXM worth $500 million. He joined the radio giant in response to “censorship” efforts during his time at Viacom by the Federal Communications Commission, which does not regulate the content of satellite programs.
Stern became the most fined radio host between 1990 and 2004, after the FCC issued fines totaling $2.5 million to radio licensees for airing material it considered to be indecent from his show, the highest amount of any American radio show.
Known for his direct and controversial persona, Stern has interviewed countless A-list celebrities and even former Vice President Kamala Harris a month before voters headed to the polls in November 2024.
He has been openly critical of President Trump, saying he “hated Trump voters,” and branded them as stupid – an opinion that Trump retaliated to by saying that Stern “went woke” and lost listeners as a result.
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