Howard Stern returns to his SiriusXM radio show after trolling the media. What’s going on?

Is Howard Stern staying or going?

The veteran radio personality had his SiriusXM satellite radio fans guessing Monday morning when Bravo TV impresario Andy Cohen opened the show with a bit saying he was taking over Stern’s dedicated channel.

But it was all a ruse.

Stern, 71, came back behind the microphone Monday after delaying his return from a summer break by a week. The delay ratcheted up press speculation that his massively successful run at SiriusXM will end when his contract expires later this year.

While Stern has yet to complete a new deal with the company, the elder statesman of radio shock jocks strongly indicated that he is not ready to hang up his headset just yet.

“What pisses me off is now I can’t leave,” Stern told listeners. “I’ve been thinking about retiring. Now I can’t because then they’ll say I got pushed out.”

So what’s happening with Stern’s show exactly?

Stern said reports that he was exiting SiriusXM led to other companies reaching out to him about taking on his long-running program.

But Stern said he remains happy at SiriusXM and was positive about the recent negotiations for a new deal.

“SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future,” he said. “They’ve sat down with me like they normally do and they’re fantastic.”

The once self-proclaimed King of All Media said he appreciated the attention his situation has received. “I’m absolutely flattered that anyone even cares,” Stern said.

Stern, long a master of self-promotion dating back to his days as a controversial radio shock jock, milked the speculation about his future in ways that were familiar to his longtime listeners. The Cohen stunt at the top of his program came after weeks of promos that promised a big reveal.

“The tabloids have spoken: Howard Stern fired, canceled,” one promo video said. “Is it really bye-bye Booey?”

Does SiriusXM want Stern back?

Yes — if the price is right.

Stern’s current deal reportedly pays him $100 million a year, which may no longer be sustainable as New York-based SiriusXM matures and deals with an influx of competitors in the audio business, including free, ad-supported platforms such as YouTube and subscription-based streaming giants including Spotify.

Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer at SiriusXM, stressed the importance of Stern to the company when he spoke last week at a Bank of America investor conference. He expressed a willingness to re-sign Stern but stressed it would have to be a deal that made financial sense.

If Stern signs with lower pay, he won’t be the first. Big personalities across the media landscape, especially in traditional television, have seen salaries reduced as companies try to navigate the fragmented marketplace where large mass market audiences are harder to find.

Is Stern still that vital to SiriusXM’s business?

Based on the market reaction to his stunt with Cohen on Monday morning, it is. The company’s stock dropped as much as 4.4% in pre-market trading Monday when initial headlines suggested he was out. The stock bounced back once Stern set the record straight.

SiriusXM has diversified its offerings in recent years, becoming the home of such top podcasts as “Call Her Daddy,” “SmartLess,” “Freakonomics Radio,” “Last Podcast on the Left,” “99% Invisible” and “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.” The service also offers shows from such personalities as Trevor Noah, Kevin Hart and Stephen A. Smith.

How relevant is Stern in today’s ‘anything goes’ media landscape?

Legacy and name recognition still have value in an age when the barrier of entry for launching a podcast is low.

But Stern is no longer the renegade, boundary-breaking media sensation in the 1980s and ‘90s. He’s gone from parading strippers through his radio studio to interviewing presidential candidates.

Stern rose to national fame in the 1980s during his 20-year stint at the then-WXRK in New York. At its peak, “The Howard Stern Show” was syndicated in 60 markets and drew more than 20 million listeners.

Stern was lured to satellite radio by a lucrative payday and a lack of censorship. He had run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations on broadcast content.

While his intimate interviews with celebrities still make news, he is now seen as a member of the mainstream media and the liberal show business establishment. The audience of young men who made Stern a major star are now being drawn to podcasters such as Joe Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe — the so-called manosphere.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.