Howard Stern on Tuesday announced a new three-year contract to stay at SiriusXM, ending speculation that he would retire from broadcasting.
Stern, 71, pranked listeners earlier this year with when he brought on Andy Cohen as a fake replacement host of “The Howard Stern Show” before returning to the airwaves.
He said at the time that talks to stay with the satellite radio network, which he joined in 2006 in part to be free of oversight by the FCC, were ongoing.
“I’m happy to announce that I’ve figured a way to have it all: more free time and continuing to be on the radio. So yes, we are coming back for three years,” the shock jock confirmed on Tuesday’s show, his last broadcast of the year. He’ll return from a holiday break on Jan. 5.
Stern said he was able to create an even “more flexible schedule” for the show, which currently airs Mondays to Wednesdays from 7-10 a.m., typically takes summers off and requires minimal trips to the company’s New York studio.
“Three more years with SiriusXM, and I’m excited about it ’cause you know what? I do still love radio,” Stern said.
He added that he asked co-host Robin Quivers if “she was up for it” before deciding to stay.
“If Robin wasn’t up for it, then I wasn’t going to do it,” Stern confessed.
No additional details were revealed. Stern’s previous contract was reportedly a five-year, $500 million deal signed in 2020 and was set to expire in a few weeks.
Sources in August told the Daily News that Stern was looking forward to retirement, particularly in the wake of his ratings taking a beating after he told “stupid” Trump supporters to stop listening to him.
“Howard feels like he has gone as far as he can go, and wants to go out on a high note,” the source said.
Prior to joining SiriusXM, Stern had a 20-year stint at the then-WXRK in New York and was syndicated in dozens of markets.
