Was Howard Stern’s “Vacation” Really a Contract Negotiation?

There was something very suspicious about Howard Stern’s vacation last week. One week before that vacation, he was off the air for two weeks on a vacation that he announced. So does it really make sense to take those vacations so close together? Even for Stern, who is an avid vacationer, it seems fishy. Plus, this one was not announced. My theory? Stern took the full-week off to renegotiate his contract. Adding to my speculation is Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin’s recent conference call with investors, where he said that he expects an announcement about Howard Stern’s status with Sirius prior to September. Though I initially thought Stern would leave, I now think he’ll stay. He’s too much of an ego-maniac to leave the air altogether, and I can’t see him returning to the much-regulated “terrestrial” radio. Also (and this is a cheesy stretch), I would like to think that he wouldn’t abandon his staff during this economic crisis — because he has a heart.