The Howard Stern Show could reportedly be canceled as radio host's $500 million contract nears end

One of the highest-paid radio figures, Howard Stern, is reportedly on the verge of concluding The Howard Stern Show as his $500 million contract nears its end. It was this very contract worth $500 million with SiriusXM, which Howard signed for a five-year deal in 2004, that made him a successful radio figure.

According to the Daily Mail's report dated August 6, 2025, an insider told the publication that Howard is in 'very serious negotiations' with SiriusXM concerning the renewal of his contract. The insider added,

"He (Howard) may do a 1-2 year contract if they can meet him where he wants financially. He doesn’t want to pull the plug on his employees like this."

Additionally, another source mentioned that he was considering "parting ways" with the satellite radio and online streaming service. His staff, comprised of approximately 95 writers and producers, recently heard about the radio host's indecision over the show.

The insider mentioned that Howard Stern will most likely "sell his catalogue of shows to replay" on uncensored channels like Howard 101 and Howard 100. A source also told the Daily Mail that Howard "is off in the summer," but the radio host has been suggesting that he should retire this year.

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Revisiting some of the most controversial moments from The Howard Stern Show amid reports of the radio host's contract coming to an end

Howard Stern is one of the most popular yet one of the most controversial radio hosts. According to a report by Business Insider dated February 2022, Howard commented on the death of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.

For the unversed, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was murdered by the president of her fan club in 1995 at the age of 23. At the time of reporting on her demise, Howard played gunshot sounds over Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's music and mocked her fans by faking a Hispanic accent. This resulted in a South Texas judge issuing a warrant against Howard, charging him with disorderly conduct.

In another instance, Howard Stern's comment was associated with former child artist Dana Plato's death, given that she died of an accidental overdose in May 1999, just a day after appearing on Howard's radio show.

At the time, the radio host pressured Plato to take a drug test after she admitted to sobriety, because she had addressed her drug addiction during a prior appearance on the show. This resulted in listeners accusing her of being on drugs, followed by Plato offering locks of her hair for testing.

After her death, Plato's co-star, Betty Alice Pryor, accused Howard of reportedly driving her off the edge.

Moreover, in another incident dating back to 2008, Stern mixed sounds and words from Dolly Parton's audiobook titled My Life and Other Unfinished Business. The result was a s*xually graphic and racist audioclip which gave the impression of Parton saying the N-word and commenting on young boys.

During a May 2008 interview with Billboard, Dolly Parton addressed the situation and said,

“I have never been so shocked, hurt and humiliated in all my life. I cannot believe what Howard Stern has done to me. In a blue million years, I would never have such vulgar things come out of my mouth."

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According to the New York Post's report dated August 6, 2025, The Howard Stern Show's listeners fluctuated from 20 million every day to 125,000 lately. The radio host hasn't confirmed or denied reports of his show getting cancelled.