Howard Stern’s 95-strong staff had only one goal in mind when they gathered for a ‘team building’ bash in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon.
A few cocktails coupled with games of ping pong and serious laughs ahead of the 20th season of the show on SiriusXM on September 2.
Their 71-year-old boss was a world away from Midtown’s Spin bar, instead chilling at the $21 million Southampton pile he has spent most of his time since Covid.
At the staff bash, a senior producer gave a heartfelt speech, thanking the team for their hard work and claiming ‘bigger, better guests’ and ‘the best radio we can do’ would follow Stern’s September return.
By 5.30pm, the group had split; some going bar hopping in Hell’s Kitchen while others taking dinner at Japanese restaurant, Benihana.
That’s when the lifechanging the bombshell dropped: a news alert claimed Stern was on the verge of walking away from SiriusXM altogether because the station couldn’t come close to meeting his financial demands for another contract.
‘The mood changed quickly. No one knew this was coming… and we couldn’t get any answers,’ one stunned insider said.
Repeated calls to executive producer Gary Dell’Abate went unanswered.
Howard Stern with best friend Jimmy Kimmel (above)
Shock jock Stern, 71, has hosted the second incarnation of The Howard Stern Show since 2006, but a show insider has since confirmed to the Daily Mail that the host is in ‘very serious negotiations’ with SiriusXM on whether he will renew his contract (with Madonna in 2015)
Donald Trump appeared on Stern’s show 20 times before becoming president, appearing with daughter Ivanka at one time
What staff didn’t know was the bombshell came as a shock to Stern himself, who received it via a Google Alert as he finished dinner after a walk on the beach.
His famous friends were quick to call, with Stern allegedly avoiding calls from Ali Wentworth and Jimmy Fallon. He did, however, pick up the phone when longtime friend Jimmy Kimmel rang.
‘First I’m hearing of it,’ was all a reportedly stunned Stern could manage.
Multiple sources confirmed Stern decided to make an ’emergency show’ on Wednesday morning to quell concerns he was finished.
Instead of addressing reports about Howard Stern show’s future, he spoke at length to Metallica’s Lars Ulrich. When he signed off, he assured listeners he’d be back on September 2.
Stern on his best friend Jimmy Kimmel’s show
The future of Stern’s 20-year SiriusXM radio show is in jeopardy as the end of his $500million five-year contract looms – pictured April 2024
Stern’s shift from having the most fearsome reputation in American entertainment to being what Kanye West described as an ‘irrelevant old man’ has been dramatic and he has faced backlash after admitting he was ‘woke’ in a dramatic 2023 interview – pictured with Seinfeld in 2013
Khloe Kardashian has appeared on Stern’s show, once with her sister Kim, where she confessed she only dates black men
Daily Mail has previously revealed the shock jock has been in ‘very serious negotiations’ with SiriusXM about whether he is able to extend his $500 million contract, which comes to a close at the end of 2025.
Some insiders claim he was set to ink a short one-to-two-year deal; while others say he’s frustrated by Sirius backing rival host, Andy Cohen, more heavily.
Stern has been broadcasting mostly from home since the pandemic and has faced criticism from fans and stars for becoming too ‘woke’ and remote.
Whether his legendary run ends this fall or not, Tuesday’s chaos within Stern HQ shows just how chaotic the next few months will be.
Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Stern for comment but has not heard back.
Insiders say the fact Stern was unaware the news was about to break about his contract drama reveals the end is near.
The shock jock’s shift from having the most fearsome reputation in American entertainment to being what Kanye West described as an ‘irrelevant old man’ has been dramatic in recent years and he’s faced backlash after admitting he was proudly ‘woke’.
Stern is pictured at the height of his influence in 1995 in NYC alongside longtime cohost Robin Quivers
The insider said: ‘He 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.’
A separate source said Stern was considering ‘parting ways’ with SiriusXM and ‘will likely sell his catalogue of shows to replay’ on uncensored channels Howard 100 and Howard 101.
‘This year he has been saying ‘maybe I should retire”, one source said, after a 40-year career.
One idea is that Stern could possibly return for ‘specials’ with SiriusXM.
In 2023 after hearing claims that he’s ‘not good anymore’ Stern declared: ‘By the way, I kind of take that as a compliment, that I’m woke. I’ll tell you how I feel about it. To me the opposite of woke, is being asleep.
‘And if woke means I can’t get behind Trump, which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender or I’m for the vaccine, dude call me woke as you f*****g want.’
The radio star’s career fell from having 20 million listeners a day to to figures fans believe are as low as 125,000. He has predominately broadcast from his home over the past five years, citing fears over COVID-19.
Dubbed the ‘King of all Media’ – Stern first launched The Howard Stern Show in 1986 on terrestrial radio.
He’s spent decades getting jaw-dropping confessions from his guests.
The source claimed Stern was also displeased over SiriusXM ‘leaning heavily’ on fellow radio star Andy Cohen – pictured last month
He has become controversial for some comments he made over the years, including saying some of the girls running from the Columbine High School shooting were ‘really good looking girls’ – Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold pictured
In March 1995, when Selena’s fans reeled from her shooting he made fun of them, playing gunshots over Selena’s music the day before her funeral and mocking Selena’s fans with a fake Hispanic accent – Selena pictured 1994
Donald Trump has appeared on the show more than 20 times.
In 1997, he admitted to sleeping around and said he ‘hoped for the best’ when asked if he used protection.
In 2006, he called his daughter Ivanka ‘very voluptuous.’
In his 2019 book Howard Stern Comes Again, Stern said his biggest regret was never apologizing to Robin Williams for a brutal early ’90s interview.
‘I badgered him about divorcing his first wife and marrying his son’s nanny,’ he wrote. ‘I was attacking the guy.’
Years later, after therapy helped him understand his narcissism, he wanted to apologize — but Williams had already died.
‘I’m still filled with sadness and remorse for not calling sooner,’ Stern said.
When Kim and Khloe Kardashian came on the show in 2009, Stern admitted he didn’t understand their appeal.
‘I didn’t even know if they had talent,’ he said — then asked Khloe about dating black men.
‘Once you go black, you never go back,’ she replied, adding she only dated black men.
Kim disagreed: ‘She’s only dated black guys. I’m not.’
‘Maybe it’s because we have big a**es. Black guys like that,’ Kim said.
Both sisters said they liked spanking, hair-pulling, and dirty talk in bed.
Stern has hosted late-night shows, pay-per-view events, and written three books — two of them bestsellers.
But he’s also sparked outrage with offensive remarks.
After the Columbine shooting, he said some of the fleeing girls were ‘really good-looking,’ and asked, ‘Did those kids try to have sex with any of them?’
‘If I was going to kill some people, I’d take them out with sex.’
In 1992, he said the closest he came to being with a Black woman was ‘masturbating to Aunt Jemima on a pancake box.’
And in 1995, he mocked Selena’s fans with gunshot sounds and a fake Hispanic accent the day before her funeral.
Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Wentworth, Fallon and Kimmel for comment but have yet to hear back.
Daily Mail previously contacted representatives for Howard Stern, SiriusXM and Andy Cohen for comment but have yet to hear back.
