Popular conservative radio host Dan Bongino returned to broadcast Wednesday despite his “ugly” fight with distributor Cumulus Media over the company’s vaccine mandate.
Bongino came back on air to express his excitement about the results of Election Day after Republicans had several victories. During the first hour of his broadcast, Bongino offered a quick update on his conflicts with Cumulus. Bongino said the decision to go live was “last minute” and required some concessions on his part. However, the conservative commentator did not elaborate on details.
“We’re at a stalemate here. We basically have guns to each other’s heads,” Bongino said. “We’ve been negotiating this for a long time.”
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Bongino said he was “blindsided by the news of people being let go.” However, the company does not intend to budge on the mandate.
The radio host denies claims the conflicts over vaccine mandates are an attempt to get out of his contract. Instead, he said he would raise funds for Cumulus employees who were terminated due to the mandate. Bongino promised to put $250,000 into the fund while raising money to help police, firefighters, and others who lost their jobs because of a vaccine mandate.
Bongino said he hopes to update his listeners on the decision that Cumulus’s corporate branch makes.
Some have expressed doubts about how long Bongino will still be on the air. Industry insiders told Radio Ink Bongino would be dropped from distribution entirely this week. According to these insiders, Bongino “chose” not to do the radio show while he sparred with Cumulus.
An anonymous source told Mediaite that “anyone on the chopping block for refusing to get the vaccine was already fired,” as the Cumulus vaccine mandate’s deadline was Oct. 8.
Local radio stations have also expressed they have grown tired of rebroadcasting older Bongino broadcasts, as they don’t attract as many listeners.
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Bongino’s decision to oppose the Cumulus vaccine mandate has also created tension between him and other conservative hosts. For example, North Alabama-based conservative talk show host Dale Jackson described the feud as “virtue signaling.”
Bongino posted a Facebook video in response to Mediaite’s reporting, complaining about people “leaking to the media” and calling them “desperate” to get him to “change the narrative” regarding vaccines.
He also described many of his fellow hosts as “parasites” and “vultures.”
