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\n FILE – Howard Stern speaks at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cleveland, on April 14, 2018. (Photo by Michael Zorn\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n
Howard Stern, who evolved from his shock jock origins to become a respected interviewer, enlisted Andy Cohen at the top of his show to prank listeners. Stern then came on the air and thanked Cohen for agreeing to do the bit.<\/p>\n
\n FILE – Howard Stern speaks at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cleveland, on April 14, 2018. (Photo by Michael Zorn\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Howard_Stern_SiriusXM_92766-780x520.jpg\"\/)
\n FILE – Howard Stern speaks at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cleveland, on April 14, 2018. (Photo by Michael Zorn\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Howard Stern,<\/a> the popular and highly paid radio host, returned to SiriusXM\u2019s airwaves Monday after trolling listeners into thinking he had departed his long-running show.<\/p>\n Stern, 71, who evolved from his shock jock origins to become a respected interviewer, enlisted a seemingly flustered Andy Cohen at the top of \u201cThe Howard Stern Show\u201d to pretend to be his successor. \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 the Bravo personality, who has his own SiriusXM show and podcast, for agreeing to do the bit. The stunt was the culmination of weeks of promos that promised a big reveal, following swirling speculation that Stern\u2019s show would be canceled. \u201cThe tabloids have spoken: Howard Stern fired, canceled,\u201d one promo video<\/a> said. \u201cIs it really bye-bye Booey?\u201d The speculation grew after Stern postponed his return from a summer break last week.<\/p>\n While he did return Monday, Stern did not announce that he had reached a new contract with SiriusXM. His current deal expires at the end of 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s the truth: SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future. They\u2019ve approached me, they\u2019ve sat down with me like they normally do, and they\u2019re fantastic,\u201d Stern said.<\/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 nascent satellite radio industry. His importance was highlighted on the SiriusXM homepage \u2014 tabs included For You, Music, Talk & Podcasts, Sports and Howard.<\/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