Howard Stern Stays at SiriusXM After Elaborate Hoax Shakes Fans and Media

Howard Stern is not leaving SiriusXM — at least not yet.

The longtime radio host shocked listeners Monday morning when Bravo host Andy Cohen opened Stern’s 7 a.m. time slot, announcing he was taking over the channel and rebranding it as “Andy 100.” The stunt fooled even major outlets like CNBC, Variety, and the Associated Press, which published reports claiming Stern had left SiriusXM.

Ten minutes later, Stern returned to the air, laughing it off as a prank and blasting the media for running with “bad rumors.” He admitted that speculation about his future has grown during his recent summer hiatus.

“What pisses me off is now I can’t leave,” Stern joked. “I’ve been thinking about retiring. Now I can’t.”

The prank briefly rattled Wall Street, with SiriusXM shares dipping nearly 2% in premarket trading before bouncing back.

Stern’s current contract with SiriusXM, signed in 2020, was for five years. While he hasn’t announced his official plans, Stern said talks with the company’s executives have been “fantastic” and that he’s “very happy” at SiriusXM.

He also dismissed a rumored feud with podcaster Alex Cooper, who signed a $125 million deal with SiriusXM last year, saying, “I don’t know Alex Cooper. If she is young and bubbly, then God bless her because I’m the opposite.”

Stern left traditional radio in 2006 in a landmark $500 million deal to join what was then Sirius Satellite Radio. Nearly two decades later, he remains one of the most influential voices in broadcasting, even as SiriusXM faces declining stock performance and rounds of layoffs.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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