Howard Stern’s staged announcement that his SiriusXM program had been canceled prompted on-air confusion and has, according to the Daily Mail, set off panic and finger-pointing among staffers behind the show.
The prank unfolded when Andy Cohen filled in and suggested he was taking over for the 71-year-old host, only for Stern to return and deny the show had been axed. The episode, which Stern later described as addressing "a lot of fake news," has left employees worried about job security and led producers to seek the source of internal leaks, the Daily Mail reported.
A source told the Daily Mail that "people are panicking" and that many employees who rely on the show as their primary income are fearful of being laid off. The source said staffers have been discussing leaving and are constrained by nondisclosure agreements that bar them from speaking publicly. "Employees can get fired instantly and lose everything, especially if Stern found out that they broke their confidentiality agreement," the source said.
The paper reported that executive producer Gary Dell'Abate warned staff that someone had been providing information to outsiders, prompting an internal inquiry. The investigation has reportedly been handed to producer Memet Walker, identified by the Daily Mail as a former U.S. Air Force airman trained in interrogation tactics; according to the report, Walker has denied being the source of the leaks.
A separate source quoted by the Daily Mail described the cancellation story as a "publicity stunt" or "desperate hoax" intended to boost ratings and suggested the episode was part of a planned September reveal that had been postponed. Stern had teased a major announcement and delayed it from Sept. 2 to Sept. 8 after falling ill, according to the Daily Mail.
Former staffer Steve Grillo, who interned on the show in the 1990s and wrote a memoir about his time there, told the Daily Mail he regarded Monday’s segment as "the hoax of the century" and called the stunt "a pathetic way to get people to tune in." Grillo said that Stern "has such talented staff members there" who, he believes, have been exploited by the host’s management style. He also criticized the choice of Cohen as the stand-in, saying it would not appeal to Stern’s core audience.
Stern addressed speculation about the show’s future during the Sept. 8 broadcast, telling co-host Robin Quivers, "Everything you've been reading in the paper about me or about Robin is completely false." He acknowledged conversations with other companies and said he was "very happy" at SiriusXM, where he is under a reported $500 million, five-year contract that expires at the end of the year. Stern has been with the satellite radio company since 2006.
The Daily Mail reported that internal tensions were heightened by concerns that staffers were breaking confidentiality agreements and by the public backlash to what some called a misleading on-air tactic. The report quoted sources saying that fear of abrupt termination had long been present among employees and has intensified since the hoax.
Representatives for Stern and SiriusXM did not provide comment to the Daily Mail, according to the story. The reported developments come amid ongoing scrutiny of the show’s audience and public profile following earlier criticism of Stern’s on-air political comments and his evolving public persona.
The Daily Mail was the source for the reporting on staff reactions and the internal probe. The paper said it reached out to representatives for Stern and SiriusXM for comment.