Howard Stern has launched an internal search for a leak after rumors about his contract talks and a hoax on his channel set off panic among employees at his SiriusXM operation, according to colleagues and postings about the incident.
The controversy began on the Howard 100 channel when syndicated host Andy Cohen opened a segment announcing a supposed rebrand to "Andy 100," a stunt that led many listeners to believe Stern had been removed from the channel. Minutes later Stern returned to the air, revealing the segment was a prank. The on-air gag, however, came against a backdrop of persistent speculation about Stern's future at SiriusXM and leaked details of contract negotiations that staff members say touched off finger-pointing inside the show’s roughly 95-person staff.
Staff members said the search for a "mole" intensified after Stern was alerted to public reports about his negotiations via a Google Alert while dining at his Southampton home on Sept. 2. A morale-building staff gathering that night — described by participants as cocktails and ping-pong ahead of the program's 20th season — became strained as employees began to suspect internal leaks. A senior producer's toast that evening to "bigger, better guests" and "the best radio we can do" was recalled as the mood soured into suspicion, sources said.
Stern ordered an unscheduled "emergency" broadcast the next morning to address the matter, but spent much of the show interviewing Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich rather than laying out specifics about the leak or his contract status, colleagues said. He later told listeners his delay in returning from summer vacation had been due to illness, not stalled negotiations, and denied reports that he had been fired for being "too woke." Stern also said he remained "very happy at Sirius." He has declined to discuss the terms or timing of any contract renewal.
The internal probe has been assigned to producer Memet Walker, a former U.S. Air Force airman who worked in the service from 2006 to 2010 and has trained in interrogation techniques, according to people familiar with the matter. Walker, who joined The Howard Stern Show in 2015 after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been the subject of informal accusations by colleagues that he is the source of the leaks; he has denied those claims.
The mole hunt is the latest personnel flashpoint for the program. Executive producer Gary Dell'Abate warned in 2014 about the possibility of an internal leak after private conversations from a Manhattan team-building event surfaced publicly, and the show’s large production staff has long required close coordination. Staffers said the recent speculation has exacerbated tensions, with some workers now second-guessing messages and social interactions for fear of being blamed.
Stern, who joined what was then Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006, turned the move into a watershed moment for satellite radio and has been a defining figure for the company. His arrival brought him substantial compensation and helped SiriusXM build a lineup of high-profile talent and podcasts. Before satellite radio, Stern established his reputation over two decades in terrestrial radio, where he cultivated a provocative on-air persona that propelled him to national prominence and occasional controversy. His career has included bestselling books, a 1997 film about his rise, and a stint as a judge on America’s Got Talent.
As the investigation continues, SiriusXM listeners and Stern’s colleagues remain divided between amusement over the on-air prank and concern about the internal culture that allowed a rumor to ripple so quickly. Stern’s refusal to publicly discuss contract details has left the company and its flagship host navigating the fallout between entertainment stunts and real-world workplace consequences.