Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say

SiriusXM's decision to relaunch its Raw Comedy channel under the banner of Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio in April has drawn public pushback from many in the stand-up community. The satellite provider markets the new station as curated and headlined by Maniscalco, and it now features his show alongside a stream of stand-up performances. Critics say the programming leans heavily toward established and celebrity comics rather than the emerging talent that Raw Comedy previously showcased. A report from the nonprofit Stand Up for Standup provided concrete figures behind those concerns, finding that the roster of artists receiving spins on the channel dropped from more than 800 to roughly 275 since March. The organization said the distribution of plays now skews toward a much smaller set of well-known performers, a change it described as damaging to both individual comedians and the broader future of the art form. Several prominent comics responded publicly. Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho posted videos urging Maniscalco to use the platform to lift up newer comedians; Oswalt specifically noted that about 500 comics had been removed from SiriusXM rotation and emphasized that many rely on checks and exposure from the station. Other performers such as Dan Soder, Liz Miele, Kyle Kinane and Michelle Wolf have also criticized the channel's shift, with Soder characterizing much of the new stream as featuring "very famous comics who are dead or who don't necessarily need the money." SiriusXM defended the change in a statement to Deadline, saying the channel introduced a new creative direction and an evolving programming mix and that the company continues to invest in comedians more than any other audio platform. At the time of reporting, neither SiriusXM nor representatives for Maniscalco had responded to questions from The Verge about the criticisms or the specifics of artist selection and royalty impacts.