Dan Bongino Admits to Uncertain Future With Cumulus Media Amid Stalemate on Vaccine Mandate: ‘I’m Not Optimistic’
Dan Bongino’s future with Cumulus Media remains up in the air, according to the Washington Post.
Two months ago, Bongino tore into Cumulus for what he called a “stupid” and “immoral” decision to require that their employees be vaccinated. The row came to a head when Bongino said he would no longer host The Dan Bongino Show on Cumulus’ prime three-hour radio slot if they went forward with the health requirements.
From Bongino’s Oct. 18 show:
There’s been some reporting about some people who’ve had separated from their jobs or moved into different positions because of it. And I’m kind of done with that. Yeah, I’m not gonna play along with that. So, out of respect for them, I called them today and let them know my position. But I’m not playing along with that…[Cumulus will] have to make a decision with me if they want to continue this partnership or they don’t. But I’m talking to you on their airwaves, they don’t have to let that happen.
Bongino is vaccinated, and he recently spoke about his fear of dying when he contracted Covid a month and a half ago. He has argued against vaccine requirements, however, though questions have been raised about how seriously to take Bongino’s ultimatum.
The Washington Post reported that Bongino said on his show in November that he spoke to Cumulus’ top brass, and got “some concessions” out of them — though he didn’t provide much in the way of detail.
“We’re at a stalemate here,” Bongino said at the time. “We basically got guns to each other’s heads.”
The Post’s Jeremy Barr reached out to Bongino for an update on his ultimatum.
From Barr’s report:
[Bongino] suggested he wants to protect the job security of his workers. “I have numerous employees who work on my show too. I have to protect them,” he said.
He said he was in “an ongoing fight” with Cumulus — “there are conversations happening, but I’m not optimistic.” Asked how long these conversations could take, and how long he would wait before parting ways with Cumulus, he said, “I can’t speak to their timeline.”
Cumulus declined to elaborate on the nature of their vaccine mandate, though Barr’s sources within the organization say that the policy is in place. While Cumulus has their own policy, Bongino’s other home — Fox News — is putting new requirements of their own in place, mandating that all in-person employees be vaccinated in accordance with New York City law.
