Stern Slashes SiriusXM Schedule, Adds HBO Max Streaming
Howard Stern will return to SiriusXM on September 14 with a reduced weekly schedule, airing only on Mondays instead of twice a week. For the first time, video episodes will be available on HBO Max, dropping Thursdays with occasional bonus content. The change follows his new three-year deal with SiriusXM and recent layoffs among his show's staff.
The July layoffs removed several longtime on-air regulars, including Memet Walker, Benjy Bronk, Jon Blitt, and Mike Trainor, along with behind-the-scenes staffers; only the most senior employees were spared, according to a source. The restructuring precedes Stern's reduced schedule and follows his December three-year deal with SiriusXM, which ended months of speculation about his potential retirement.
The new Howard 100 lineup will feature "Wrap Up Wednesday," hosted by longtime Stern associates Gary Dell'Abate and Jon Hein, alongside fresh plans for Stern's extensive archive of past broadcasts. The HBO Max video episodes, dropping Thursdays with occasional bonus content, mark the first time the show's video component has been available on a streaming platform.
This shift could signal a broader industry trend of legacy radio personalities adapting to streaming-era consumption habits. Longtime SiriusXM subscribers may feel the reduced schedule diminishes the show's daily cultural presence, while the HBO Max partnership could attract a younger, on-demand audience unfamiliar with Stern's terrestrial radio heyday. The layoffs may also reflect cost pressures across satellite radio, potentially affecting how other marquee talent negotiates future contracts.