Howard Stern’s future at Sirius XM in doubt as copycat podcasts poach his audience | Television & radio

Howard Stern was once one of the most powerful figures of the American media: a controversial “shock athlete” based on controversy declared the king of the whole media ve and once commanded a contract worth half a billion dollars.

But now Stern’s career may fall from the brightest period in the 1990s and 2000s, when he revolutionized American listening habits and used great cultural forces.

Stern’s Run in Airwaves, USA, faces a decreasing audience after decades. According to industrial observers, some of the Stern’s critics make their tendency softer and more liberal, while people face increasing rivalry and changes in listening habits.

Stern’s $ 500 million contract with Stern’s Sirius XM satellite radio ends at the end of the year and some allegedly That the two sides will not sign a new agreement. The show announced that Stern would appeal to the future of the company on September 2, but pushed back Until September 8th.

Famous for its controversial content, the radio presenter played an important role in the growth of Sirius after switching from commercial to satellite radio in 2006. However, this was before the modern podcast explosion, which removed the audience from both Stern’s old middle and satellite radio.

Therefore, Stern’s show is not unique to hear that 20 million people say ugly things, sex jokes, and interview with topless guests. Critics hit him as a sexist and sometimes racist speaker. But there was no doubt that his great audience loved him.

“Satellite radio has given you a very unique platform because the alternative was the air radio,” he said, Matthew Dolgin, a senior Özkaynak analyst covering media companies in Morningstar, a financial services company. “It’s not like this anymore for sound fun.”

Düz You have the freedom to do what you want, ”he added with Podcasts.

In the 1980s and 90s, the Stern won a great follow -up due to the segments that are often accepted on the radio. In 1982 The plane crashed He called a bridge, airline and said, “What is the price of one -way ticket from the national to the fourteenth street bridge? Is this a regular stop?” He asked.

In 1992, he made another joke known as one of his staff. Stuttering johnHe attended a press conference with Gennifer Flowers, who had a relationship with Bill Clinton. and asked If he wears a condom and sleeps with another presidential candidate. Flowers and others laughed in the room.

At the end of Stern, he received a TV show and joined Sirius for the 100mma year for five years.

Stern, traditional radio “does not allow me to be myself” and “fed up of censorship” because of the Federal Communication Commission because he said.

When Stern signed the agreement, Sirius had 600,000 subscribers; At the end of 2006, he had 6 million, Wall Street Journal notified.

Stern and Sirius renewed the agreement 2010– 2015 And 2020When Sirius has 35 million subscribers.

“Howard Stern was undisputed in the growth of Sirius XM during the formatting years,” he said. “Further up to increase the growth of the subscriber, Stern’s presence confirmed the platform for other talents and creators.”

However, Sirius has recently lost customers. He lost 445,000 subscribers in 2023 and lost 296,000 last year Financial explanations.

Since Sirius does not publish mass numbers for certain shows, it is unclear how many people listen to Stern on satellite radio. However, the number of unique viewers to Stern’s Youtube page fell from 4.5 million in June 2024 to 3.1 million this June. Tubular Laboratories.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported In May, the Podcast industry won $ 7.3 billion in sales last year and more than previous estimates. Many podcaster now transmits videos.

Stern also faces competition, such as Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper, popular Podcast hosts, using Stern’s cultural and sometimes political effects as before.

“There were too many imitators, Joh John Cassillo said, chief analyst precautionA business analysis company. Rogan is probably a spiritual successor in some angles ”because“ he just throws questions there and sees what happened ”.

Stern arranged his approach and was sometimes known with celebrities with deep, thoughtful interviews.

“I interviewed every porn star, Stern said Stern. New York Times In 2019, “I don’t get me wrong, I was fascinated, but I couldn’t be that man anymore.”

McBride, the founder of Mrskin.com, which contains Hollywood naked scenes, began to appear on Stern’s show in 2000.

He estimates that he looks more than 15 times in the show.

“It was incredible for my work, Mc McBride said. “I am grateful for this show forever.”

However, McBride said that despite Stern’s still talking about the website, it has not been seen in the program since 2018.

He also thinks that the potential decline in the listener has more interest in Stern’s new approach with the crowded media view.

“I love two-hour interviews with the celebrities of A-Liste, and I love things that say and say things that you will not normally hear in these short small TV interviews,” McBRide said. “Now there is a lot of space to have fun; it is natural that the show does not have the same amount of listeners.”

Stern suppressed Donald Trump, which used to be. His show.

Orum I do not agree with Trump politically, Stern Stern said in his show before the 2024 elections, Daily monster. “I don’t think it should be anywhere near the White House. I don’t hate the man. I hate people who vote for him. I think fools. I do it.

Trump answered FOX NewsHe “awake”, claiming that Stern’s ratings were “down the tubes”.

Cassillo does not buy this argument from the measure. Instead, he sees Stern’s potential missing market share as “thousands of successful imitator types on Podcasts and Youtube”.