Howard Stern has come under scrutiny amid claims that the veteran radio host is displeased over his network, SiriusXM, putting more effort into promoting a younger podcaster.

The podcaster in question is Alex Cooper, whom Stern admitted earlier this month he didn’t know, while adding that he had no problem with his network paying others.

Still, speculation continues to swirl, with reports suggesting some of Howard Stern’s staff are considering leaving his show to work with Cooper, who is widely seen as the “future of Sirius.”

In the wake of Stern dismissing rumors about leaving SiriusXM and ending his show as completely false, a new twist has emerged in the ongoing drama.

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Insiders are now claiming that the radio shock jock has issues with his network’s heavy backing of “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper, who is allegedly being positioned as the “future of Sirius.”

“Howard knows that they are spending much more money on promoting Alex and her podcast,” an insider said of Stern, per the Daily Mail. “He sees the writing on the wall that she’s now the future, and Sirius seems more interested in putting money into her.”

The same insider claimed that Stern “can’t swallow that gigantic pill” of Cooper being positioned as the future of Sirius, something that became even more apparent after her $125 million, three-year deal with the network was announced in August 2024.

Part of Stern’s alleged grievance with Cooper is that, unlike him, she isn’t a conventional radio host.

“He doesn’t like that she’s not ‘regular radio’ and that Sirius is backing her and shelling their money into her pockets,’ said the source, adding that Stern’s “ego is taking over.”

Stern was also described as “far from welcoming,” with a long-held belief that “there’s no one else but him.”

The radio host has reportedly shown this stance by giving Cooper the cold shoulder whenever she has visited SiriusXM’s New York City offices, and he does this under the guise of not wanting to engage with anyone.

“If he comes into the office, he’s quickly escorted in with security and quickly escorted out. There’s no interacting with other talent,” the source continued.

They added, “His security team there treats him as if he’s of presidential status.”

Stern’s alleged worries aren’t unfounded, as earlier reports revealed that his show’s audience has plunged from around 20 million daily listeners to just 125,000.

One source told the Daily Mail that the “numbers are so pathetic” the showrunners have been left scrambling for solutions.

As for how things got this bad, the insider pointed the finger squarely at Stern himself, saying he had “sold out his own audience so bad” by mocking MAGA listeners and openly telling them he “didn’t want them listening to his show anymore.”

For now, it remains to be seen whether Stern’s comeback earlier this year will have any impact on reversing the show’s fortunes.

However, time may not be on the veteran host’s side, as several staff members are reportedly considering jumping ship to work with Cooper instead.

“The Sirius staff will follow the money,” the first insider claimed. ‘These are people who are worried about paying rent, paying for their family, so they would leave in half a second if they were offered a job with Alex.

Stern was initially expected to return from his break on September 2, but the date was pushed back to September 8. The delay sparked further speculation that the radio host had been fired, but Stern cleared the air during his September 8 comeback.

He explained that the schedule change was due to illness, not lingering contract negotiations.

“I was just getting so f-cking annoyed with everyone writing me, asking me if I was okay because I’d been fired,” the media personality added about the situation, per the Daily Mail.

At the time, he also dismissed the firing rumors, insisting they were completely false.

“None of it is true, zero truth,” Stern further remarked. “What pisses me off is that now I can’t leave. I’ve been thinking about retiring. Now I can’t.”