Howard Stern has altered his satellite radio lineup at SiriusXM, handing over his Howard 101 channel to Andy Cohen’s “Radio Andy” starting September 1, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
The Reality Behind a Prior Radio Prank
The channel handover turns a previous stunt between Stern and Cohen into a permanent programming move. Last year, the two hosts convinced listeners that Stern had been fired and that Cohen was taking over Stern’s primary flagship channel, Howard 100, during a period marked by heavy speculation regarding a potential career wrap-up for the shock jock. A promotional video released by SiriusXM confirmed that the new alignment places “Radio Andy” on Howard 101 rather than the main channel.
In the SiriusXM promotional clip, Cohen expressed initial disbelief about the transition. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cohen asked on camera if the move was a joke, stating, “Last year, we fooled the whole world. We made everyone believe I was taking over Howard 100.” Stern assured him that he was not being pranked, though Stern firmly declined to surrender Howard 100, telling Cohen, “No, I’m not giving up 100.”
Channel Realignments and Schedule Reductions
The shuffle impacts multiple channels across the SiriusXM platform. Beginning September 14, Howard 100 will introduce a new program lineup featuring “Wrap Up Wednesday” hosts Gary Dell’Abate and Jon Hein. Meanwhile, Cohen’s former channel slot, channel 102, transitions to “Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio,” and “Netflix Is a Joke Radio” relocates to channel 105.
The channel reassignments accompany a strategic reduction in Stern’s workload following his summer break. Moving forward, Stern will produce only one new broadcast per week instead of his traditional two, filling out the remaining broadcast hours with content drawn from his extensive audio archive. The programming changes follow earlier reports from Page Six indicating that roughly a dozen production staff members were let go as part of the new operational model. SiriusXM has not issued statements regarding additional staffing changes, while Stern simultaneously expands his media footprint by bringing his live-broadcasted show to HBO Max as a streaming format.
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