Comedian Liz Miele has recently experienced a significant loss of approximately 25% of her income, a situation she shares with many others in the industry.
SiriusXM has discontinued its Raw Comedy/Raw Dog channel, which showcased a diverse lineup of over 800 comedians, and has introduced a new channel under the management of popular comedian Sebastian Maniscalco.
As a result, Miele and numerous other working-class comedians have lost an important avenue for revenue and visibility, while affluent celebrity comedians occupy the airwaves.
“Last year was financially devastating for me, and I was able to survive thanks to Sirius XM,” the Los Angeles-based comedian disclosed to As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
“I have friends who are caring for ill parents and cannot tour. I have a friend who just gave birth, and this was their maternity leave… This platform was crucial for hundreds of comedians trying to make ends meet.”
Despite assurances from Maniscalco and SiriusXM that the new channel will accommodate comedians at varying stages of their careers, the reality appears to be different, according to the industry advocacy group Stand Up for Standup.
Prior to the change, Raw Comedy featured over 800 comedians each month, with each artist earning $15 US in royalties for every time their material was played.
‘A concentration of wealth’
However, the revamped channel only showcased 275 comedians last month, with more than 75% of plays allocated to the top 50 stars, which includes prominent figures like Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, and Jim Gaffigan.
Moreover, several deceased comedians, such as Joan Rivers and Bob Newhart, are still included in the rotation.
“It’s a concentration of wealth,” remarked Miele, who was previously among the channel’s leading performers.
“There used to be a variety of comedians earning a fair income. Now, a select few are making significant sums, and they don’t need it.”
Comedian Liz Miele was among the most played comedians on Sirius XM’s Raw Comedy/Raw Dog. (Jim Cambridge)
Miele emphasizes that without platforms like SiriusXM, future comedians may not have the same opportunities to succeed as Maniscalco did.
“We don’t have many nepotism babies like in Hollywood,” she commented. “Most of us are individuals who weren’t connected to the entertainment industry, decided to try stand-up, and occasionally, a few manage to achieve fame.”
Canadian comedians take a hit
Comedian Danish Anwar from Toronto revealed that he previously earned between $1,000 to $3,500 monthly in royalties from Raw Comedy, but that figure has now dropped by 30 to 40 percent.
While he continues to generate income through his production company, Toronto Comedy All Stars, many of his peers find themselves in a tougher situation.
Toronto comedian Danish Anwar believes comics must unite as the industry faces challenges from consolidation and AI. (Ramy Arida)
“Many of them have invested a decade’s worth of material into an album and probably spent thousands to get it on Sirius XM, which allowed them to achieve what I would describe as the middle class of comedy through those residuals,” he explained.
“That stream of income is now gone.”
He added that numerous Canadian comedians aspiring to establish careers in the U.S. rely on SiriusXM royalties to maintain their work visas.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if many have to return to Canada,” he remarked.
Maniscalco says it wasn’t his call
Several prominent comedians, including Patton Oswalt, Michelle Wolf, and Marc Maron — have urged Maniscalco to ensure that emerging comedians have opportunities to develop their careers.
“Get those young comedians back on the SiriusXM channel. Let them receive those checks. Allow them to keep working and growing,” Oswalt stated in an Instagram video. “It keeps our profession dynamic and enjoyable.”
Patton Oswalt, pictured at the SiriusXM studios in New York City in 2024, is among the notable comedians voicing concerns over the station’s decision to eliminate hundreds of working comics from Channel 99, previously known as Raw Comedy/Raw Dog. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Maniscalco addressed the backlash in his own video on Wednesday, asserting he was not involved in the decision to terminate Raw Comedy and reduce the channel’s lineup.
In a statement sent via email, a SiriusXM spokesperson confirmed that the decision to discontinue Raw Comedy was made prior to Maniscalco’s arrival, citing the channel’s “underperformance.”
“The challenges faced by working comedians are larger than any individual or decision, but we remain committed, as we have been for over two decades, to ensuring that SiriusXM and Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio remains a platform where comedians at all levels of their careers can be heard,” the statement indicated.
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In his video posted as an Instagram story, Maniscalco pledged to collaborate with SiriusXM to establish space on his channel for “a diverse range of voices in stand-up comedy from emerging to established.”
“I understand how challenging the grind is. Trust me, I’ve been there,” he stated.
Anwar remains skeptical about these promises.
“Statements are nice, but they don’t pay my bills,” he remarked. “I can’t take Sebastian Maniscalco’s video, his story, to No Frills and buy groceries with that.”
A Canadian case study
Comedian Steph Tolev, hailing from Toronto, is urging her U.S. counterparts to learn from Canadian comedy history.
She was among many comedians who voiced their concerns in 2019 when SiriusXM’s Canada Laughs channel was taken over by Just For Laughs, which eliminated its all-Canadian lineup. Just For Laughs later reversed the decision and issued an apology.
“We all spoke up, and they reinstated our plays,” she stated in a video on Facebook. “So it works; the power of the people.”
Comedian Steph Tolev states she is not directly affected by the SiriusXM changes but supports her fellow comedians and encourages them to voice their concerns to prompt the station to reconsider its decision. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Anwar is doubtful that this strategy will be effective with a U.S. corporation. However, he emphasizes the need for solidarity—something often lacking in the comedy scene.
“Perhaps we should foster greater unity around issues such as pay, treatment, and labor practices, which are quite poor in the industry. That could be a silver lining,” he said.
“Beyond that, from a financial standpoint, we’ve just been devastated. We’ve completely been devastated.”