Stern Cedes Channel 101 to Cohen as SiriusXM Lineup Shifts
Howard Stern is officially giving his second SiriusXM channel, 101, to Andy Cohen, who will move his Radio Andy programming there starting Sept. 1. The move follows a prank last year where Cohen pretended to take over Stern's main channel, and comes as Stern reduces his show to once a week and adapts it for HBO Max. Other changes include Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio taking over Cohen's previous channel 102, and Netflix is a Joke Radio moving to 105.
The channel swap formalizes a shift in SiriusXM’s flagship talk lineup, with Stern consolidating his presence to a single weekly broadcast while his archive moves aside. Cohen’s Radio Andy, previously on channel 102, gains a higher-profile slot directly tied to Stern’s legacy, though Stern retains his main Howard 100 home. The reorganization also touches comedy programming, as Sebastian Maniscalco’s channel inherits Cohen’s old frequency and Netflix’s pop-up comedy station settles into a permanent spot on 105.
Stern’s reduced schedule follows his new HBO Max adaptation deal, which will repurpose his live show for streaming. The prank from last year, where Cohen briefly simulated taking over Stern’s primary channel, now reads as a preview of this real transition. SiriusXM has not addressed speculation about layoffs tied to Stern’s fewer weekly episodes, nor confirmed whether Cohen is being groomed as a long-term successor.
This lineup change may signal how legacy satellite radio adapts to streaming competition, with marquee hosts like Stern scaling back while newer personalities like Cohen gain prominence. Listeners loyal to Stern’s archive could feel a loss of daily content, but Cohen’s expanded reach may attract a different audience. The move also highlights how celebrity-driven platforms increasingly blur radio and streaming, potentially reshaping listener habits and industry expectations for talent contracts.