Why Howard Stern Fans Are Furious With The Shock Jock

It sounds like Howard Stern just cashed his check to the tune of $500 million and ran. The Sirius XM shock jock known for his crazy on-air antics managed to get a rise out of his loyal fans, and don’t seem the least bit happy about it.

Stern announced that he is taking most of the summer off after signing a whopping $500 million contract with Sirius XM. On Monday, the 67-year-old radio host went on the defensive, saying that the break was already negotiated into his contract according to a report from Page Six.

Stern then revealed that he would not be on the show until September and that Sirius XM will be airing re-runs of his program for the next two months. This did little to ease tensions with longtime listeners.

The Blow Back Has Been Swift

Longtime fans of Stern took to Reddit and other social media platforms to voice their displeasure at the host. Some even threatened to cancel their Sirius XM memberships.

“Four days off a week isn’t enough? Couldn’t take two weeks off? No, that would be too fair to his customers,” one fan complained sarcastically.

“King of all media?” another user chimed in, “More like King of all vacation days.”

Though little is know about Stern’s new five-year contract with Sirius XM, its hefty $500 million price tag implies that the host is making tens of millions of dollars. Not all of the $500 million goes to the radio legend, as the rest of the staff and productions costs are included in the deal. Stern signed the contract in December of 2020.

Though it’s been rumored that Stern had some competition coming to replace his show on Sirius XM, this new contract only cements Stern’s relevance on the airwaves. Satellite radio maintains a constantly growing celebrity roster, but Stern remains the top dog.

The radio host first caught the nation’s attention on his nationally syndicated radio show back in 1986 and has called Sirius XM home since 2006. Stern is also well known for his outlandish guests, high-profile interviews, and signature radio personality.

A New Side To The Shock Jock?

Though a summer vacation from a multimillion-dollar job is pretty cushy, maybe it’s a sign that the longtime radio provocateur may be cooling off a bit from his shock jock heydays.

Always known to stir the pot and never a stranger to controversy or feuds, Stern can now be found adopting animals and enjoying the simpler things in life. Stern and his wife, Beth, like to spend their summers in the Hamptons and it seems that time has softened the radio host’s edges.

An unidentified source from Page Six who knows the couple said, “He’s not the shock jock out here, he’s just Howard. He has substantially mellowed,” adding, “He doesn’t want to party, he wants to stay home. He and Beth are more interested in rescue animals, art, photography, and living a happy, healthy life.”