Howard Stern’s dedicated SiriusXM channel has been pulled from the broadcaster’s lineup.
SiriusXM confirmed the move in a channel lineup announcement this week, stating that “notable changes” include Andy Cohen’s Radio Andy shifting from channel 102 to channel 101, “while Howard 101 leaves the lineup.” The change lands roughly a month after the shock jock, 72, cut around a dozen staffers via Zoom as he prepared to scale back to a single weekly show beginning after Labor Day.
The affected employees were sent home “immediately” following the call, according to reports, with severance packages tied to tenure. Reports said that some staffers were offered around one week of pay per year worked, though another source told the outlet that some workers were “feeling OK” about their packages after negotiating their exits.
Stern’s contract situation has shifted dramatically. His previous five-year deal with the network was worth $500 million. He signed a new three-year contract in December 2025 that he told listeners would afford him “flexibility.”
“I am happy to announce that I have figured out a way to have it all,” Stern said on air at the time. “More free time and continuing to be on the radio.”
His wife, Beth Stern, 54, later offered her own assessment on Cohen’s Sirius show. “I think his new schedule is working out really well for him,” she said.
The channel elimination follows a turbulent stretch for Stern’s operation. Earlier this year, an ex-assistant sued him for allegedly creating a hostile work environment, though a New York State Supreme Court judge dismissed that lawsuit “in its entirety” in July.
Stern has kept a low public profile through much of this period. Nearly a month after the lawsuit dismissal, he surfaced in the Hamptons for a rare appearance with Beth at John Mayer’s SiriusXM performance at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York, on Wednesday. The couple joined A-listers including Brooke Shields and Cohen at the venue, marking their first public sighting since the “Maximum Metallica” channel launch at the same location in August 2025.
The staff reductions and channel closure arrive amid fresh scrutiny of Stern’s workplace culture. Earlier this month, reports said that female staffers for Howard “are not allowed to wear sneakers at work” and hide their shoes under desks at the SiriusXM office in New York City.
“I know of people that still like keep like non-sneakers in case certain execs are expected in the offices,” an insider alleged to the outlet.
A separate report from the outlet claimed that “People were warned before any company parties not to speak to Howard,” noting that “people have actually gotten fired for it” and calling the company environment “cultish.”
A rep for Stern did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday evening.
Stern’s scaled-back radio presence begins after Labor Day with just one show per week.