When SiriusXM signed "Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper last August, OutKick predicted the deal would make Howard Stern expendable.
For the first time in his illustrious career, the signing made Stern no longer the biggest, most relevant star at SiriusXM. By agreeing to pay Cooper $125 million over just three years, the satellite media company also signaled a shift in strategy: from live radio to on-demand podcasting.
Now, a year later, reports suggest Stern is unlikely to re-sign with the platform this fall. According to The Sun, Cooper’s growing influence could be a contributing factor.
"She’s the one that bugs him," an insider told the Sun earlier this week. "She gets hundreds of millions of hits, she has this mega $125 million deal, and he hates that this young bubbly woman is the big new thing."
Reportedly, executives go out of their way to keep the two talents apart. "That’s who they have to keep Howard away from when she comes to New York."
Cooper, 30, is based in Los Angeles. Stern, meanwhile, typically broadcasts from the basement of his New York-area home, with only occasional studio appearances.
Stern, a radio stalwart, used to scoff at the idea of podcasting. He vowed that it would never replace terrestrial or satellite radio in influence. Well, for younger generations, it has.
"Alex and Joe Rogan, these massive podcasters, have traditional radio guys stunned," another insider told the outlet. The insider said Cooper is "female, she’s the next generation."
Stern was long the premier interviewer in media. The biggest stars in Hollywood and D.C. clamored for an appearance on his show. Today, that is no longer the case – thanks to podcasters like Cooper.
Last October, Cooper interviewed Kamala Harris days before Stern. Harris' team reportedly pushed Cooper to interview the then-vice president for weeks, understanding her audience and appeal to young women. This had to irk Stern, who campaigned aggressively on-air for Harris after Biden bowed out of the race in July 2024.
Moreover, the accessibility of podcasts like "Call Her Daddy" can make Stern's program feel archaic. Listeners can find "Call Her Daddy" anytime for free on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple, while they must pay a $15-a-month fee to listen to Stern live on radio.
As Clay Travis often says, "the old Howard Stern would think the new Howard Stern is a pussy." We concur.
Since COVID, Stern has become increasingly crusty and erratic. As late as 2023, he was still shaming people for hosting holiday gatherings (including Oprah Winfrey).
And his TDS is as severe as Stephen Colbert's and Jimmy Kimmel's. Last fall, he clarified that he doesn't "hate" Trump but "hates" the "people who vote for Trump." He then ordered that all Trump voters stop listening to his show.
"I'm at the end of my career, so fuck you and listen to another station if you don't like my views [on Trump]," Stern told his audience.
Stern also bragged about "being woke" on his show:
"I am a woke motherfucker, and I love it. I want to be awake. I want to read legitimate news sources. Here’s how woke I am. I believe the election was not rigged. I am woke. I think that’s a compliment," Stern declared.
"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 fucking want."
As Clay said...
And, let's be honest: both Stern and Cooper lean heavily into banter about sex. Listeners and guests will always choose the attractive 30-year-old woman discussing her sex life over the ugly 71-year-old man fantasizing about a better sex life.
Frankly, we understand why Stern dislikes Cooper and why SiriusXM would rather have her than him moving forward.
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