The Satellite-Radio Drama Tearing Comedians Apart

Radio isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Sebastian Maniscalco. As he is one of the most physical comedians in the business, his act does not lend itself particularly well to an audio-only medium. Despite this, back in April, Maniscalco expanded his comedy footprint when he partnered with SiriusXM to lend his name to the satellite-radio channel Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio. Branded at the time as “a 24/7 comedy destination,” the channel has since become the home of podcasts including The Sebastian Maniscalco Show and We Got Company as well as a steady diet of stand-up comedy programming “curated and headlined by Maniscalco.” But rather than being a new channel launched to supplement existing offerings, Maniscalco’s took over a SiriusXM channel called Raw Comedy, which, according to many comedians, functioned as a launching pad and consistent revenue source for lesser-known performers.

On October 5, comedians like Patton Oswalt, Michelle Wolf, Matthew Broussard, and dozens of others took to social media to talk about the takeover and urge Maniscalco to reconsider programming changes that resulted in hundreds of comedians getting knocked off the channel. According to these videos, royalties earned from radio play on Raw Comedy — approximately $15 per spin — have been a vital source of income for middle-class comedians for years, and these payouts have all but disappeared for a majority of them as the channel’s programming focus has narrowed in recent months. Per one estimate posted by the organization Stand Up for Standup, the “active roster” of comedians platformed on the channel has shrunk by roughly 66 percent, “from a high of 812 acts in April to 275 in September.” Seventy-five percent of the plays are concentrated among the top 50 of those artists, many of whom are already famous and wealthy comedians. The top-played comedians on the channel now include Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart, and Ricky Gervais. Some of the lesser-known comedians who were frequently played on Raw Comedy but are no longer featured after the rebrand include Jim Florentine, Liz Miele, and Ian Edwards.

Maniscalco could not be reached for comment, but SiriusXM offered the following statement to Vulture: 

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. 

For those currently trying to fight the impossible fight of making a stable living as a middle-class comedian, this new “creative direction” is unfortunately one more punch to the jaw.