Howard Stern‘s longtime SiriusXM partnership may be facing another major change. A new report claims the future of his archival Howard 101 channel is uncertain and that multiple rounds of staff layoffs reportedly gutted the team behind it.
SiriusXM layoffs heavily affected the staff behind Howard Stern’s archival Howard 101 channel
According to The U.S. Sun, most of the SiriusXM employees laid off during the first wave in February worked on Howard 101. The channel has long served as the home for classic Howard Stern interviews, memorable moments, and archival content.
Sources told the outlet that many staff members believed Howard 101 would remain secure even if Stern eventually retired. They reportedly viewed the archive-focused channel as the natural home for Stern’s decades of content. However, those expectations appear to have changed after the layoffs significantly reduced the team responsible for maintaining it.
The uncertainty reportedly grew following a second round of layoffs in July. During a Zoom meeting, Stern’s remaining staff was allegedly informed that the radio legend would reduce his original live programming to just one day each week. According to the insider, that decision made Howard 101’s future appear even less certain.
The source claimed that with less original programming being produced, SiriusXM could eventually rely on archival content to fill Howard 100 instead. If that happens, Howard 101 may no longer serve a separate purpose. Representatives for Stern’s SiriusXM show did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the reports.
The reported changes come months after Stern renewed his SiriusXM contract in December. As previously reported, the first round of layoffs began Feb. 12 and largely affected behind-the-scenes employees. Because most of those workers were not on air, many listeners were unaware of the staffing cuts at the time.
It was previously reported that at least 40 employees were let go during the initial layoffs. A second wave reportedly eliminated another 16 positions, including several on-air staff members. The shake-up also follows reports that longtime contributor Rahsaan Rogers exited the show. That further fuels speculation about ongoing restructuring behind the scenes.
Longtime listeners have reportedly expressed frustration over the changes, while some are threatening to cancel their SiriusXM subscriptions as uncertainty continues to surround Stern’s future programming.
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