Dan Bongino Gives Cumulus Media Ultimatum Over Vaccine Mandate

Radio show host Dan Bongino speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2021. Screenshot/CPAC via NTD

Conservative radio host Dan Bongino threatened his employer Cumulus Media with an on-air ultimatum Monday, announcing on his program regarding their coronavirus vaccine mandate that “you can’t have both of us.”

The former New York police officer and Secret Service agent’s message pushed back on the media group’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate requirement.

“You can have me or you can have the [vaccine] mandate. But you can’t have both of us,” Bongino said during his nationwide radio program.

“I’m not letting this go,” Bongino publicly declared in another post.

“I’m not even considering letting it go. I’m announcing it publicly so you know I’m not letting it go,” he added.

A third post noted that Bongino is personally vaccinated, but resists the vaccine mandate requirement “for other employees who don’t have a platform to fight back as they risk unemployment if they don’t comply.”

Cumulus Media announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees on Aug. 12.

“In a message to employees, CEO Mary Berner stated that all employees must have received their full dose of one of the available vaccines by Sept. 27—two weeks prior to the scheduled return date,” Inside Radio noted at the time.

The statement included various exceptions to the mandate. Cumulus Media says its workforce includes approximately 4,000 people and runs more than 400 stations in 80 markets.

“NewsRadio 740” KVOR host Jeff Crank chose to leave Cumulus Media over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In a lengthy Facebook post earlier in October, Crank expressed his reasons for leaving.

“Last week I had a cordial conversation with my friend, Bobby Irwin, the program manager at Cumulus Colorado Springs and he informed me that, because of my position on the issue and not providing proof of vaccination, today’s show will be my last show on KVOR,” Crank wrote.

“I will continue to do my show as a podcast and it will be available at my website and downloadable on iphones and android phones every Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. just like it is now. It just won’t be broadcast on KVOR,” he added.

The Cumulus Media vaccine mandate has grown in controversy as many additional companies have implemented similar policies to meet the Biden administration’s requirement for vaccinations of employers of 100 or more employees.

“Exceptions to the return to office plan will not be considered except as legally required,” Berner stated.

“The decision to return to our offices was made with utmost consideration and reflects how we believe we can optimize our business efforts. Put simply, we believe that Force Cumulus is at our best when we’re working together in offices. To do that as safely as we reasonably can, we’re requiring that everyone be vaccinated except those legally excepted. It would neither be fair nor do we have the bandwidth to make exceptions based on individual preferences,” she added.