$100 million cut in Stern's new Sirius deal

Did the King of all Media take a haircut on his new deal with Sirius XM, which was announced Thursday?

Wall Street analysts Thursday said the recession finally may have caught up with Howard Stern, who said on the air that he'll remain with Sirius XM Satellite Radio through 2015. But don't worry: He won't starve.

Analysts valued his new package at $400 million, or $100 million under the last deal - of which only a portion is direct salary while the rest goes to production costs. According to a Reuters report, "The question is what kind of package was put together?" said Maxim Group analyst John Tinker. Lazard Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett valued Stern's overall package at $80 million over five years, versus his current $100 million package.

For fans, these may be big - ridiculously big - numbers but they could be indicative of significant changes for Stern, too. Sirius XM Thursday declined to comment on analyst reports that he'll cut back to three days a week starting next year, or perhaps even reduce his on-air commitment. The new deal does offer a significant bonus to fans, however: Stern's show will be available on various platforms besides satellite radio, including the iPhone, Android phones, and BlackBerrys. "The addition of the mobile apps will be a significant one going forward because it makes him more available," said Tom Taylor, news editor of Chicago-based Radio-Info.com. "It was frustrating to some listeners [that] it wasn't available on both [mobile apps and satellite.]"

On the air, Stern said, "I've signed a deal. . . . I started to look at all the companies, Sirius included. And Sirius has been very, very anxious for me to re-sign," he said in comments posted on MTV News. "And I know deep down in my heart, I kept thinking I'd like to stay here. Because more than anything, I think what we've built hasn't been finished yet."

Stern's last show before going on vacation is scheduled for Thursday. His current contract was due to expire Dec. 31.