NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Howard Stern, the popular radio host who gave a massive boost to the nascent satellite radio business when he signed a blockbuster, multimillion dollar contract for SiriusXM almost two decades ago, has returned to the airwaves after trolling listeners with a gag.<\/p>\n
Stern, 71, who evolved from his shock jock origins to become a respected interviewer, enlisted a flustered Andy Cohen at the top of his show Monday. \u201cThis was supposed to be a cleaner hand off. I\u2019m kind of winging it,\u201d said Cohen.<\/p>\n
Stern then came on the air and thanked Cohen for agreeing to do the bit.<\/p>\n
Stern joining what was then Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. in 2006 made him one of the highest-paid personalities in broadcasting and was a game-changer for both the company and the industry. His importance was highlighted on the SiriusXM homepage \u2014 tabs included For You, Music, Talk & Podcasts, Sports and Howard.<\/p>\n
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The development after weeks of promos promised a big reveal following swirling speculation that his show would be canceled. \u201cThe tabloids have spoken: Howard Stern fired, canceled,\u201d one promo video said. \u201cIs it really bye-bye Booey?\u201d Speculation grew after Stern postponed his return from a summer break to \u201cThe Howard Stern Show\u201d last week.<\/p>\n
SiriusXM in the years after Stern joined has become home to top podcasts \u201cCall Her Daddy,\u201d \u201cSmartLess,\u201d \u201cFreakonomics Radio,\u201d \u201cLast Podcast on the Left,\u201d \u201c99% Invisible\u201d and \u201cConan O\u2019Brien Needs a Friend\u201d and features such personalities as Trevor Noah, Kevin Hart and Stephen A. Smith.<\/p>\n
But SiriusXM\u2019s subscriber base has been slowly contracting, with the company reporting 33 million paid subscribers in the second quarter of 2025, a net loss of 68,000 from the first quarter and 100,000 fewer than the same period in 2024. It is a battling a saturated satellite market and competition from free, ad-supported platforms like Spotify.<\/p>\n
Stern extended his contract with SiriusXM twice before, in 2010 and again in 2020 with a five-year, $500 million deal, Forbes reported<\/a>. He\u2019s recently had newsy and intimate chats with Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen.<\/p>\n