After claiming two years ago that he had no interest in remaining with the company when his contract was up, Dan Bongino has signed a extension with Cumulus Media’s Westwood One to continue to host his daily 12-3pm talk show.
Bongino originally joined the company in March 2020 hosting a daily podcast which was used as a one hour daily talk show. Following the death of Rush Limbaugh, the company moved him to a live 12-3pm clearance starting in May 2021. His battle with Cumulus began a few months later as he railed against the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate and stating a regret in signing a long-term contract at the time.
As part of the new deal, Westwood One will continue to handle distribution, marketing and monetization of Bongino’s daily podcast and video streaming.
Cumulus Media’s (NASDAQ: CMLS) Westwood One today announced that Dan Bongino has extended his contract to host both his syndicated radio program “The Dan Bongino Show” on Westwood One and his podcasts, including the unique podcast The Dan Bongino Show, on the Cumulus Podcast Network for multiple years. Both the radio program and the podcasts showcase Bongino’s natural ability to forge connections and engage with his listeners.
Westwood One launched “The Dan Bongino Show” on syndicated radio in May 2021 with 115 stations and has tripled station affiliations in just over two years, now boasting 356 affiliates and airing in nine of the top 10 US markets. “The Dan Bongino Show” airs from 12 to 3 p.m. ET each weekday, featuring commentary, live guests, and listener calls.
The Dan Bongino Show podcast is a perennial Top Ten in Apple’s News category ranking and has seen well over 200 million downloads so far this year. In addition, the show has been downloaded more than 350 million times on Rumble and was one of the most requested podcasts on Alexa devices this year.
The Cumulus Podcast Network distributes, markets, and monetizes the show. A new episode drops each weekday on most podcast platforms as well as on Rumble with video.
“It’s been a fascinating couple years of ups and downs both personally and in the political space,” said Bongino. “I love what I do, and I’m ecstatic that we’ve agreed to move forward with the show after changes were made. I want to thank all the shows’ supporters, the stations, and program directors for their continued support. I promise to keep my foot on the gas pedal.”
“‘The Dan Bongino Show’ is one of the greatest growth stories in network syndication, with Dan delivering programming unlike anyone else,” said Suzanne Grimes, President, Westwood One and EVP Corporate Marketing, Cumulus Media. “As we head into what will surely be an unpredictable election cycle, we know Dan will be always insightful, sometimes provocative, and never disappointing, which is why our listeners are wildly engaged, and our advertisers have flocked to the show.”
