Comedians revolt against SiriusXM as 'middle class of comedy' fights corporate royalty cuts
A programming change at SiriusXM has drawn criticism from comedians after the satellite radio company removed hundreds of working stand-up comedians from its comedy channel, cutting off a source of royalty income for affected performers.
After SiriusXM replaced its Channel 99, Raw Dog Comedy, in April with comedian Sebastian Maniscalco’s new channel, "Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio," veteran stand-ups began criticizing the move, warning that it threatens an important source of income for independent comedians.
According to the comedy industry advocacy group Stand Up for Stand Up, the channel's active roster shrank 66%, from 812 featured comedians in April to 275 by September, with more than 75% of plays going to the top 50 comedians.
COMEDY STARS LASH OUT AT SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO OVER SIRIUSXM SHAKE-UP
"Everything in life breaks down to money, numbers and money. That's what it breaks down to," veteran comedian Rich Vos, who has performed stand-up for 40 years, told Fox News Digital.
Vos was among the comedians who no longer received airplay on the channel, having ranked among the 20 most-played comedians on Channel 99 before the rebrand, according to Stand Up for Stand Up. Although Vos noted that his decades-long career and club relationships keep him busy, he said he decided to speak out because stand-up comedians lack a labor union.
"I had a great run with Sirius. I appreciate how much they played me, for how long they played me and, you know, but there's a lot of comics that aren't doing as well as I do," Vos said.
"I've been around for over 40 years. So, there's comics that have been doing it five, 10 years and it's tougher for them. These are the comics that are really getting hurt by this," he added.
Comedians and industry advocates say the programming change has eliminated a reliable source of royalty income for many performers, including those still establishing their careers. Comedians can earn royalties when their recorded performances air on satellite radio, typically around $15 a play. But those removed from the rotation no longer receive payments from those broadcasts.
According to Stand Up for Stand Up, the rebrand has hurt the "middle class of comedy," which the group describes as working comedians who earn their living performing but are not household names and often live paycheck to paycheck.
The decision has drawn criticism from several prominent comedians, including Patton Oswalt and Michelle Wolf, who have called on Maniscalco to help restore airplay for affected performers.
"The fact that you and I still get to tour and still get to work and still get to be as funny as we are is because comedy right now is so dynamic and has so many new, young voices that are coming up. But 500 of them have been booted off of Sirius," Oswalt said in an Instagram video addressed to Maniscalco.
"I know you didn't mean to do anything bad by doing it. You can easily reverse this decision. Get those young comedians back on the Sirius channel. Let them get those checks. Let them keep working," he added.
The new lineup features established comedians including Chris Rock, Jim Gaffigan, Jamie Foxx, Whitney Cummings and Kevin Hart, while also regularly airing recordings from late comedians like Joan Rivers and Bob Hope.
CHRIS ROCK SHREDS 'WOKE 1.0' ERA, COMPARES MODERN OUTRAGE TO SALEM WITCH HUNTS
SiriusXM said its decision to discontinue Raw Comedy was driven by the channel's "underperformance" and was made before Maniscalco joined the lineup.
"We have been listening to comedians speak out this week and want to clarify that our decision to end Raw Comedy was due to the channel’s underperformance and came prior to Sebastian joining the SiriusXM lineup," the company said in a statement.
"While the challenges facing working comedians are bigger than any one person or decision, we remain committed, as we have for more than two decades, to making SiriusXM a place where comedians at every stage of their careers can be heard," SiriusXM added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Maniscalco for comment and was directed to the above statement by SiriusXM.
Vos questioned SiriusXM's explanation for ending Raw Comedy.
"I don't know what underperformance [means]. Obviously, that means not enough people are listening to it," Vos told Fox News Digital. "I just know funny is funny, and if that's your channel is to play funny, then maybe your marketing strategy is wrong... But funny's funny, and that's basically what a comedy channel is about, being funny."
Maniscalco has also faced criticism over the programming changes. In an Instagram video posted Wednesday, he asked fellow comedians for patience as he works to expand the channel's lineup.
"This goes out to all my fellow comedians – I want to let you know that I heard you, I support you, I love you. I know how hard the grind is. Believe me, I've been there," he said, before adding that he had "nothing to do with removing Raw Comedy from SiriusXM."
Maniscalco said he plans to work with SiriusXM to feature a wider range of comedians, from emerging performers to established acts.
"I just ask that you give me a little time, guys. I just got here and I need a little time to build out the channel. So I just want to let you know that I heard you and just give me some time and be patient and I think you'll like the result. God bless everybody," he added.
In a statement to Fox News Digital earlier this week, SiriusXM said, "SiriusXM works together with our creative partners to program the best possible experience for our listeners."
"The launch of Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio introduced a new creative direction and a regularly evolving programming mix for the channel, and SiriusXM continues to invest in comedians more than any other audio platform to deliver a wide range of comedy offerings across our channels."
Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.