Monday morning's edition of the "Howard Stern Show" had the usual mix of raunchy song parodies and Stern's signature riffs on, well, everything. He interviewed Tina Fey and took a call from a truck driver who spoke about his sexual preferences.
But the circumstances were anything but typical because Wednesday will mark the final day of Stern's contract with Sirius (SIICF)XM -- and even Stern doesn't seem to know what the future holds.
"I'd like to know what's happening, honestly," Stern said Monday, adding that he's left all financial decisions to his agent.
"I said, 'Don't even bother me. If somebody has a contract with me I'll go work, but that's it,'" Stern said. "So we'll see. We'll see what happens. We might not have an answer for you, but Wednesday could be the final show."
Related: SiriusXM and Howard Stern in a contract 'dance'
SiriusXM declined to comment.
Given the amount of the money commanded by the popular radio host, the self-described "king of all media," it's perhaps not surprising that negotiations are coming down to the wire.
Stern, 61, renewed his contract with Sirius in 2010 for five years, with reports and analysts pegging his annual salary at $80 million per year. He is the biggest draw on satellite radio, and his departure could be a massive setback for Sirius.
As BloombergBusiness reported Monday, industry survey data suggests that the company "could lose more than $240 million in annual revenue" if Stern bolts.
Sirius CEO James Meyer said last month he's "very hopeful that we'll get an agreement done with Howard."
Speculation over Stern's future has been rampant among his legion of fans, some of whom called in to the show on Monday to bemoan his possible departure.
Related: Howard Stern has a 'mind-blowing' dream job offer
In March, Stern said on-air that he had been showered with offers, including one that he said "would be the dream job of all time for me."
Regardless of how it shakes out, Stern isn't fretting. He made light of the contractual uncertainty throughout Monday's program.
"Everyone wants to know: Is it the final show?" Stern said before playing a faux movie trailer for "the final episode of the Howard Stern Show ever, maybe."
Stern's longtime co-host Robin Quivers asked him what it will mean for the show if nothing is settled by Wednesday.
"It means that's it," Stern replied. "That'll be our last show and let's say we don't have a contract or anything, we'll just go away."
At that moment, Stern played a parody of John Lennon's holiday classic, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)."
"Is this the last Christmas," the song went, "for the Howard Stern Show?"
