Howard Stern Lays Off 12 Staff Members Amid Contract Cuts
Howard Stern reportedly laid off 12 staff members after taking a significant reduction in his SiriusXM contract.
The show's main topic centers on Howard Stern laying off 12 people from his staff, with Anthony Cumia weighing in on the situation on his own show. Industry insiders speculated that Stern took a 'really big reduction in his contract' and is rationalizing it by working less. One host explains the logic: 'If you work two days a week and you make $100 for those two days and then they tell you they're only paying you $50 now a week and then you go, "Well, I'm working one day now" — it doesn't seem like you took a hit.' The hosts discuss how Stern's reported $500 million deal was likely inflated by agents, noting 'it's not really the number that they report. Agents pump it up.' They question why SiriusXM keeps renewing Stern's contract at all, with one host saying, 'I just don't have enough of a mind to understand why Howard is worth any millions to the network.' Another host argues Stern's value is exclusivity — unlike Alex Cooper or Stephen A. Smith who appear everywhere, new Howard Stern content is only available on SiriusXM. However, they acknowledge 'no one is signing up for Sirius because of Howard Stern' and that the real value is in the sales pitch to keep satellite antennas built into cars.