NBC News severed its ties to former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel after intense internal backlash. Radio host Buck Sexton says paying out her contract will be a simple one for the network, especially after what it paid to Megyn Kelly.
In 2018, Kelly insinuated it was ok for people to wear blackface as long as they were impersonating a black character. The subsequent backlash led to her departure from NBC News, with the outlet paying her the rest of her contract.
A similar situation unfolded with Ronna McDaniel, who has signed a reported two-year, $600,000 contract with the network to serve as a political analyst after resigning from her role with the Republican National Committee earlier this month.
After her hiring, many at MSNBC and inside the NBC News organization pushed back against the idea of hiring someone who had been intensely critical of the mainstream media, and also touted lies about the validity of the 2020 Presidential election until joining the network as a contributor.
NBC News Chairman Cesar Conde revealed it was his decision to end the relationship with Ronna McDaniel.
“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down. While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it,” he wrote in an internal memo to staffers.
After the news of McDaniel’s departure became official, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show began the show with the topic, leading Sexton to argue this isn’t the first time NBC News has been in this position.
“They did it. They actually fired the former RNC chair. I think she did one interview. The reports are they’re gonna pay her $300,000 for both of the years of her contract. For NBC, that’s nothing. Remember, NBC had to pay out Megyn Kelly’s contract a while ago at like $70 million or something,” said Buck Sexton. “$600,000 for them is a rounding error. The amount of money these corporate news outlets can put toward stupid decision making — in both of those cases firing talent — is remarkable in and of itself.”
At the time of her exit from NBC News, it was reported Megyn Kelly would receive $30 million from the outlet.
Co-host Clay Travis argued that while listeners of the show may not be big fans of McDaniel, people should be concerned about the treatment of Trump supporters. “They aren’t interested in talking to half the country,” he posited.
David Fox
March 29, 2023 at 2:37 pm
Was he fired or did he jump ship to go work else where? Some of daily listeners are wondering.
Joshua Stamps
March 30, 2023 at 8:50 am
I will no longer listen. Dan is so cheesy and the rest of the talent isn’t very good. Pamala should be ashamed to do that to
Someone she called a friend!
Jason b
March 31, 2023 at 9:53 am
I don’t think she did anything to backstab Michael she’s just filling in the space till they can get a new person to take over, but I only still listened to the station because of him. Don’t need to stick around since I no longer live in middle Tennessee
Barbara Brewer
April 4, 2023 at 11:40 am
Pamela didn’t do anything to Michael. She just substituted in his time spot several days.
Tim
April 1, 2023 at 5:03 pm
For a station that reports the news and talks about others situations and mishaps and prides themselves on truth and trust I believe they owe their listeners an explanation.
Robert
April 24, 2023 at 12:45 pm
You are absolutely correct … I had to go looking to find out why Pamela was filling in so much! Any news on where he is now?
ShaneJ
April 3, 2023 at 8:17 pm
Obviously, he was fired, Michael or the station would have said something already, Dan is such a rino and gets his feeling hurt easily. I’ve stop listening to 99.7 since. Hopefully Michael will find another show.
AJ
April 5, 2023 at 11:55 am
Please bring Michael back. I love his honesty and comedy. You can’t replace him or Phil Valentine, we miss you Phil
Brad Hagan
April 7, 2023 at 2:34 pm
Glad Delgiorno is gone….
sometimes he was really good….but wasn’t good enough.
Brian Wilson is the best. If, you were to have nat’l radio people on…I would vote for Chris Plante out of Washington DC.
Brad Hagan
April 7, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Dan Mandis CAN be very good. When I heard him fill in for Red Eye guys, he was very good. i don’t enjoy the comradery of the group in the am.
James
October 4, 2023 at 2:15 pm
agreed !
James A A Gilbert jr
April 9, 2023 at 2:53 pm
What a bunch of losers
Jeff W
April 10, 2023 at 5:25 pm
It would be nice for loyal listeners to receive SOME kind of explanation as to why a main radio personality just vanishes! We listen daily and as your “customers” we would like to know what’s going on.
Misty
April 12, 2023 at 11:37 am
Michael was the only reason I listened to talk radio. Bad call on whoever let him go!
Mary Ann Adams
April 13, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Just like politics Democrats can say do anything. But these radio guys are have to watch every word. He will be missed. I do not care for Dan style. Love Bruan. At work during Matt most of time. DO NOT care for Miss Furr. Would love Chris Plant.
Extreme right wing christian
April 14, 2023 at 8:26 pm
Delgiorno Seemed over it. Honestly the boomer humor was pretty cringe. Hopefully they replace him with someone younger who will FIRE IT UP and turn it yo 11 in the morning.
Frank Wunder
April 23, 2023 at 7:40 pm
Delgiorno’s show got progressively worse over the years. He never took calls. He talked about his life too much. I don’t want to hear about his mom, his wife, his kids or some other aspect of his life. Let me be clear: I appreciated it when he talked about his faith. That never bothered me. What bothered me was after the first hour Delgiorno just flew around in circles and never failed to conclude that everything about was the social dilemma, the matrix, and then insert some random shilling for his pastor.
He shit the bed and is gone and hopefully the station will get a host who will take calls and talk about issues that are meaningful for the listeners.