NewsNation) — Howard Stern has delayed his on-air return amid contract talks with SiriusXM.  

The Howard Stern Show announced the news Monday across its social media pages.  

Journalist and analyst Brian Stelter confirmed the delay was related to contract talks.  

In an Aug. 15 post, the show wrote, “Fired? Retiring? Canceled? Bye-Bye Booey?” — a reference to the show’s producer, Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate. 

The social media graphic crossed out the initial return date of Sept. 2 and replaced it with a date of Sept. 8.

Rumors swirl around Howard Stern’s future 

The Sun reported SiriusXM would not renew Stern’s contract at the end of the year, after 20 years on the air with the satellite radio provider.    

“Stern’s contract is up in the fall, and while Sirius is planning to make him an offer, they don’t intend for him to take it,” a source told The Sun. “Sirius and Stern are never going to meet on the money he is going to want. It’s no longer worth the investment.”  

Stern, the self-proclaimed “King of All Media,” began his career as a radio host in the 1980s, when “The Howard Stern Show” amassed around 20 million listeners in 60 markets nationwide at its peak, according to the U.S. Sun.

He later joined SiriusXM, signing a massive $500 million contract with the subscription-based satellite radio company in 2004.