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In early August, rumors spread that Howard Stern\u2019s<\/strong> job<\/a> was at risk as his $500 million SiriusXM contract neared its end. But now, reports suggest Stern and his team were the ones fueling that speculation.<\/p>\n The narrative about the \u201cshow being canceled\u201d was allegedly a \u201cdesperate hoax\u201d put into play by Stern, 71, and other employees, according to an article published by the Daily Mail<\/em><\/a> on August 21.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re desperately trying to make this thing go viral to try to boost his numbers for his return on September 2,\u201d one source told the outlet. \u201cHis numbers are down so low that they\u2019re desperately trying to make him relevant and get people to tune in to see what he\u2019s going to say about getting \u2018fired\u2019 from Sirius. It was something they came up with on a viral scale to get people to tune in again. The numbers are so pathetic that they don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n On August 5, a news alert dropped that claimed the longtime shock jock\u2019s show wouldn\u2019t be renewed after its next season, and a separate source claimed that none of the employees, including Stern himself, were aware The Howard Stern Show<\/em> was getting the axe. However, the following day, the Private Parts<\/em> actor recorded an \u201cemergency show\u201d and while he avoided addressing the rumors, he promised fans he would return on September 2 as planned.<\/p>\n