Howard Stern staged an on-air prank Monday that led several major news organizations to report he had left SiriusXM, only to later reveal the announcement was a ruse.
The broadcast began with Bravo host Andy Cohen sitting in for Stern and telling listeners, "This is, I know, not the voice that you expected to hear, this is not the voice that you probably wanted to hear, but it is I, Andy Cohen, and this is our first day broadcasting on Andy 100." Cohen continued the bit for several minutes, saying he was on the air because "Howard and the executive team at SiriusXM felt that it was best to, kind of, part way now." Later in the program Stern joined the show, thanked Cohen for the stunt and said the departure reports were "completely false."
The prank prompted immediate coverage from outlets including The Associated Press, CNBC and Variety, all of which initially published reports saying Stern had split with SiriusXM after a nearly 20-year run. The AP issued an editor's note updating its story: "This story first was published on Sept. 8, 2025. It was updated on Sept. 8, 2025, to correct that Howard Stern is not leaving SiriusXM and an announcement of his departure was a prank." CNBC anchors Andrew Ross Sorkin and Rebecca Quick delivered the news as breaking, with Sorkin saying, "We’ve got some breaking news for you this morning: Howard Stern officially splitting with SiriusXM after nearly 20 years." Quick later acknowledged the segment had been a prank.
Stern, whose contract with SiriusXM is set to expire at the end of 2025, told listeners the gag was "all masterminded by me." He said discussions with SiriusXM about the future had been ongoing but denied that the prank reflected an actual departure. "Here’s the truth -- SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future," he said. "They’ve approached me, they’ve sat down with me like they normally do, and they’re fantastic."
Variety updated its initial report after the broadcast, and other news organizations corrected or clarified their coverage. The prank came amid continued public attention over whether Stern would renew his deal with SiriusXM; speculation about his future at the satellite radio company has circulated as his contract nears its end.
Stern rose to prominence as a shock-jock radio personality and later embraced more overt political commentary, a shift that has been noted in coverage of his influence in recent years. Monday’s stunt drew attention both for its execution on live radio and for its effect on national newsrooms, underscoring how a staged event on a major platform can quickly ripple through mainstream media.
Following the reveal, Stern and Cohen continued the broadcast in a lighter vein, and news organizations that had published premature reports appended corrections or updates. The episode concluded with Stern reiterating that the departure rumors were false and that the on-air deception had been planned as part of the live show.
Corrections and updates to coverage were still appearing online by late Monday as outlets revised headlines and story text to reflect Stern’s acknowledgment that the announcement of his departure was a prank.