Mel Karmazin has stepped down from Sirius XM Radio earlier than expected, as the company has appointed James E. Meyer as its interim chief executive officer, reports The New York Times’ Media Decoder.

As previously reported, Karmazin was expected to step down Feb. 1, as the company prepares to be taken over by its biggest investor, Liberty Media. Karmazin had riled Liberty Chairman John Malone with a comment that Karmazin was "one of the most underpaid executives in the history of executive payment."

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission said that Karmazin resigned on Tuesday as CEO and had also left the board, according to The Times.

Meyer has served as Sirius’ president of operations and sales since 2004, and will hold the post of interim CEO while the company looks for a permanent replacement, the piece adds.