Following her tweet expressing support for women who oppose the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports, ESPN broadcaster Sam Ponder has gained a notable admirer in radio talk show host Chris Stigall, who expressed his growing admiration for her.

Stigall addressed the issue on the “Chris Stigall Podcast” Thursday. 

Despite the mainstream’s portrayal of Ponder’s controversial tweet, Stigall emphasized that her message is relatively innocuous and deserving of praise, as it promotes support for women’s sports.

“It’s not like she (Ponder) is saying much,” Stigall said. “A sports columnist at USA Today is calling Sam Ponder a bigot for supporting fairness in women’s and girls’ sports. I’m truly fascinated by this; women are in an epic battle right now, and you’re either on one of two sides; I don’t think theirs is a nuanced third way to look at this.”

According to Stigall, there are two precise positions: either one supports the notion of biological men participating in women’s sports by identifying as female, or one opposes it.  

“Remember, Sam Ponder, being an ESPN employee, Disney-ABC owned; they’re in a bit of a pickle here, aren’t they? What do you do with a popular woman on your network when she doesn’t toe the line of the politics of corporate ownership? It’s easy to get rid of the straight white guy, not as easy to get rid of the lady,” Stigall added.

Stigall praised Ponder for her adept management of the purported controversy, lauding her tweet that declared, “Bigotry is unrelated to biology.” Additionally, Ponder emphasized, “Showing love to others does not necessitate the absence of boundaries.”

Sage Steele, a colleague of Ponder, has also expressed her endorsement for women’s sports and extended her support to Riley Gaines, a prominent college swimming star.

A group of former followers of finance guru and radio host Dave Ramsey, along with his company and a marketing firm, have filed a lawsuit against them. The lawsuit alleges that Ramsey endorsed a timeshare exit company that defrauded customers out of millions of dollars.

According to Religion News Service, seventeen former Ramsey listeners have come together to file a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington. According to the lawsuit, Ramsey allegedly received payments of up to $30 million between 2015 and 2021 to endorse the Kirkland, Washington-based firm called Timeshare Exit Team.

This firm, which many Ramsey listeners were customers of, collected a total of $200 million from clients. In return for payment, the company promised to help clients escape their timeshare obligations and offered a money-back guarantee. However, the lawsuit alleges that these promises were not fulfilled, resulting in customer financial losses.

However, despite charging customers over $5,000 each, the company failed to fulfill its promises. In 2021, Reed Hein & Associates LLC, operating as Timeshare Exit Team, settled a lawsuit filed by the attorney general of Washington state, accusing them of deceptive business practices. The settlement amount was $2.61 million, and subsequently, the company ceased operations.

According to the lawsuit, Dave Ramsey, Timeshare Exit Team, and Happy Hour Media Group, a marketing firm linked to Brandon Reed, one of the founders of Timeshare Exit Team, violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act. The plaintiffs allege they were defrauded, citing “negligent misrepresentation,” “unjust enrichment,” and conspiracy. The lawsuit is seeking damages exceeding $150 million.

The plaintiffs claim that they relied on Dave Ramsey’s enthusiastic endorsement of the Timeshare Exit Team and his financial expertise when they decided to engage with the company.

Renowned for his strong disdain towards timeshare companies, Ramsey proudly expressed his trust in the expertise of the Timeshare Exit Team. During a segment of his show in 2018, a video of which can still be found on “The Ramsey Show” YouTube page, Ramsey declared to his listeners that he had spent years searching for a company capable of helping individuals escape timeshares.

“I could never find anything until I stumbled upon this company called Timeshare Exit Team,” he stated in the segment, enthusiastically highlighting the company’s money-back guarantee. “About three years ago, we started endorsing them, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed frustrating the timeshare people.”

Despite the company’s legal issues and the accusations of defrauding customers, as previously reported by Religion News Service, Ramsey remained steadfast in his support, asserting that government officials, reporters, and the timeshare industry had conspired against Timeshare Exit Team.

“Rather than acknowledging the deception, Ramsey recorded a nine-minute radio segment in which he vehemently criticized anyone he deemed responsible for Reed Hein’s difficulties,” states the complaint.

Through his enduring radio show, conferences, and the faith-based personal finance program known as “Financial Peace University,” Ramsey has garnered the trust of millions of devoted followers. However, according to the complaint, his extensive expertise should have alerted him to the fact that Timeshare Exit Team was an untrustworthy entity. This assertion is based on the premise that Ramsey’s knowledge and experience in personal finance should have allowed him to recognize the dubious nature of the Timeshare Exit Team.

Greg Larson, a shipyard worker, and devoted listener of Ramsey, is one of the plaintiffs mentioned in the complaint. Larson had heard Ramsey endorse Timeshare Exit Team “hundreds of times” before reaching out to the company. Other plaintiffs include healthcare professionals, retirees, and individuals who became followers of Ramsey through their churches or his radio show.

The complaint provides a comprehensive account of the association between Ramsey and the Timeshare Exit Team. The latter is categorized as one of the “endorsed local providers” who heavily rely on Ramsey for generating business leads. Ramsey Solutions collects these leads through various channels, such as church-based programs, the company’s website, and newsletters.

Darrell Brown is ready to call it a career. Bonneville International’s President has announced he will retire on August 1. Tanya Vea, the company’s Executive VP of Content and Media Operations, will take over as President and COO.

“I’ve loved my time at Bonneville, and it’s not easy to leave, but it’s the right time for me and my family,” Brown said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to associate with so many wonderful employees as we’ve worked together to further Bonneville’s mission to be a positive influence on the communities we serve. We’ve grown as a company in our reach and impact, and I know that Tanya [Vea] will take Bonneville to the next level. I’m thrilled for the future of the company under her leadership.” 

Brown took over as President of Bonneville in 2013. Prior to that, he worked for McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company for nearly three decades.

Under Brown’s leadership, Bonneville has added stations in Denver, Sacramento, San Francisco and Salt Lake City to its radio portfolio.

His impact on the industry has been felt outside of the buildings and companies he has led. Brown served on the ABC Affiliate Board and has been involved in a number of NAB efforts. He has served as the board chair for the NAB Leadership Foundation. Prior to that, he was on the group’s board of directors.

His successor, Tanya Vea has been with Bonneville since 2010. She’s been instrumental in the company’s effort to embrace new distribution platforms while also overseeing the company’s operation in Salt Lake City, which includes radio and television stations and digital platforms.

“Darrell [Brown] has been an incredible mentor, and I’m so grateful for all that he’s done for Bonneville. He has led by example as a steward of the company and its resources. I will miss working with him, and I feel incredibly fortunate to take on this role knowing that he has put the company in a position of strength,” she said. “Bonneville is a special company. I’m committed to building on the foundation of those who have come before me and am focused on fulfilling our mission to be trusted voices in our communities. Our greatest strength is our team of talented people, and I am honored to be able to work with them to grow Bonneville for the future.”