Here's Why Fans Are Fuming At Howard Stern
Howard Stern is one of the most successful — if not controversial — radio personalities in the industry. The outspoken star is known for his no BS attitude and headline-making interviews. And on his show.. almost nothing is off-limits. He's had a cult-like following for years, and fans love to hear what Stern and his guests have to say. According to Brittanica, Stern's self-titled show began airing in 1985 in New York City, and by 1986, it was syndicated. The show came under fire quite a bit for Stern's lewd humor and sexual topics during its time on regular radio. But in 2004, per Brittanica, the talk show great inked a deal with satellite radio platform SiriusXM — a deal that not only made him rich, but also gave him an uncensored platform. The first episode aired in 2006, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In late 2020, per CNBC, Stern signed another contract extension for five years around $100 million a year... meaning the contract is worth somewhere in the ballpark of $500 million, adding even more coin to his already impressive net worth. "Fifteen years ago, I joined SiriusXM, a fledgling group of broadcasters," Stern said on his show, via CNBC. "I had been in a toxic relationship with terrestrial radio. ... Going to SiriusXM liberated me."
So why are fans so mad at Stern? Keep scrolling for more details.
Howard Stern's latest move has fans seeing red
According to Page Six, Stern is taking time off this summer. When he negotiated his mega-contract, there was reportedly a clause that gave him time off from late June through September. Since Stern is making the big bucks, fans are angry that the radio personality is taking a hiatus. People have taken to both Reddit and Twitter to express their anger over Stern's summer vacay. "I love Howard Stern but his taking the whole summer off is ticking me off. I want to stick around to enjoy Howard 101," one fan wrote on Twitter. " ... It's been the same bits repackaged over and over again. So for the 1st time considering a pause until he's back."
Another fan dedicated a Reddit thread to Stern, holding nothing back. "Howard Stern just announced per his new contract there will not be any new shows after this week until SEPTEMBER," they wrote, before adding that Stern tried to "sneak" the programming note in at the beginning of the show. "I pay $20 a month for SiriusXM and I'm not paying $40 for re-runs. All Stern fans should do this," they added. "If Sirius' profit plummets because a bunch of Stern show listeners cancelled at once I could see him back before September (or at least not pulling this sh** again next summer)." So far, the thread has over 400 comments.
As for the radio host? He's probably sipping a Mai Tai somewhere tropical...