Comedians urge SiriusXM and Maniscalco to restore working-class comics to channel
Comedians including Patton Oswalt and Liz Miele say SiriusXM's switch from Raw Comedy to Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio cut royalty-earning plays for hundreds of lesser-known comics. SiriusXM says the channel has a new creative direction.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Comedians are calling on Sebastian Maniscalco and SiriusXM to bring lesser-known comics back to a channel that replaced SiriusXM's long-running Raw Comedy. DeadlineN “Comedians Call On Sebastian Maniscalco, SiriusXM To Restore Working-Class Comic Airplay Following Raw Dog Rebrand” Read at Deadline ↗ The VergeLC “Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is facing backlash from fellow comics who claim his takeover of SiriusXM’s Raw Comedy channel is harming up-and-coming talent” Read at The Verge ↗ Mixed · 2SiriusXM launched Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio in April, a channel it says is "curated and headlined by Sebastian himself". It airs Maniscalco's own show with Pete Correale, according to Deadline, alongside stand-up content. The VergeLC “SiriusXM launched Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio in April, which is “curated and headlined by Sebastian himself,” according to the satellite radio provider.” Read at The Verge ↗ DeadlineN “a 24/7 branded channel centered on Maniscalco and his show with Pete Correale” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1The nonprofit Stand Up for Stand Up (spelled "Stand Up for Standup" by The Verge), which provides resources for comedians in need, published a report on the change. The Verge says it found plays fell from more than 800 comics to 275, largely skewed toward celebrities. The VergeLC “The organization says that since March, the spins on Maniscalco’s channels have decreased from a wider net of more than 800 comics to a much narrower pool of 275 artists, largely skewed toward celebrities.” Read at The Verge ↗
Centre · 1Deadline reports the same analysis as showing that over 75% of total plays are now concentrated among the industry's top comics, living and dead. It says this hits passive residual income for comics at lower levels. DeadlineN “over 75% of total plays have become concentrated among the industry’s upper echelon of comics — living and dead — severely impacting passive residual income going to comics at lower levels.” Read at Deadline ↗ Centre · 1Comedian Liz Miele said in an Instagram video that the channel went from playing 800 working-class comedians to fewer than 300 celebrity comedians, including dead ones such as Joan Rivers, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope and Norm Macdonald. She said hundreds of comedians who depend on the royalties "are going from having that money to nothing". She asked Maniscalco to reincorporate them. DeadlineN “Raw went from playing 800 working class comedians to now playing less than 300 celebrity comedians like Joan Rivers, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Norm Macdonald.”“We would love to be reincorporated into the channel and start getting the streams and plays that we were getting before you took it over.” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1Patton Oswalt said in an Instagram video that 500 up-and-coming comedians "have been booted off of Sirius" and that the decision could easily be reversed. The Verge says Margaret Cho, Kyle Kinane, Michelle Wolf and Dan Soder have also criticised the channel. Soder says it features "very famous comics who are dead or who don’t necessarily need the money." The VergeLC “But 500 of them have been booted off of Sirius… You can easily reverse this decision.”“Many other comedians, including Liz Miele, Kyle Kinane, and Michelle Wolf, have called out Maniscalco as well.” Read at The Verge ↗
Centre · 1Comedian Matt Ruby wrote in his Substack that the channel "is crushing middle class comedians who rely on payments from the company to pad income." DeadlineN “is crushing middle class comedians who rely on payments from the company to pad income,” wrote comedian Matt Ruby” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2In a statement to Deadline, SiriusXM said Maniscalco's channel "introduced a new creative direction and a regularly evolving programming mix for the channel" and that it "continues to invest in comedians more than any other audio platform." Neither Maniscalco's representatives nor SiriusXM had responded to The Verge's request for comment. The VergeLC “SiriusXM says Maniscalco’s channel “introduced a new creative direction and a regularly evolving programming mix for the channel,” adding that “SiriusXM continues to invest in comedians more than any other audio platform.”” Read at The Verge ↗ DeadlineN “Deadline has reached out to reps for SiriusXM and Maniscalco for comment” Read at Deadline ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Verge frames it as backlash from established comics against Maniscalco's takeover, with prominent names such as Oswalt and Cho.
- Emphasis
- Celebrity comedians' criticism, the nonprofit's spin figures and SiriusXM's statement.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the 75% concentration figure and the point about dead comics' plays beyond Soder's remark.
- Charged language
- “booted off”“backlash”
- For example
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“Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say” — The Verge
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Deadline leads with the comedians' campaign and the royalty hit to working-class comics, relaying Miele's account at length. It notes Maniscalco is not usually seen as controversial.
- Emphasis
- Miele's account, the 75% concentration finding and Matt Ruby's Substack.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not name Oswalt or the other critics. The article as published carries no SiriusXM response.
- Charged language
- “crushing middle class comedians”“Raw Dog Rebrand”
- For example
-
“isn’t generally viewed as a particularly controversial comic — but he’s found himself in the hot seat this week” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- SiriusXM replaced its Raw Comedy channel with Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio this year.
- A nonprofit, Stand Up for Stand Up, reported that far fewer comics now get plays and royalties.
- Comedians including Liz Miele have publicly asked Maniscalco to restore lesser-known comics.
Where accounts differ
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Channel number and size of the cut
- Left
- The Verge refers to Channel 102 and cites the nonprofit's figure of 275 artists, down from more than 800. Oswalt says 500 were dropped.
- Centre
- Deadline calls the old channel Channel 99 and cites Miele's figure of fewer than 300 comics, plus the 75% concentration finding.
Sebastian Maniscalco person
Maniscalco has not publicly responded in the coverage. Miele and others address him directly, saying he may not have known the impact.
“Previously, Miele said, Maniscalco was perhaps unaware of the impact that his SiriusXM rebrand is having on the broader comedy community.” — Deadline
Left1 article
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Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say
Sympathetic Presents the story as comics' backlash that is hurting up-and-coming talent, with SiriusXM's reply included.
Centre1 article
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Sympathetic Relays working-class comics' complaint about lost royalties, with Maniscalco described as an unlikely target.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 5 Oct 21:57 First DeadlineN Comedians Call On Sebastian Maniscalco, SiriusXM To Restore Working-Class Comic Airplay Following Raw Dog Rebrand
- 6 Oct 22:10 +24h 12m The VergeLC Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.