Despite widespread condemnation of his anti-coronavirus vaccine comments and racial insults, Joe Rogan’s mouth has left Spotify in a difficult position, as the streaming giant appears unwilling to split ways with the popular podcast presenter.
In a communication to staff sent out on Sunday, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek stated that the firm would not part ways with Rogan.
“While I strongly oppose what Joe said and agree with his decision to delete previous episodes from our platform,” Ek wrote in the note, “I recognise some will demand more.” “And I want to be clear about one thing: I do not believe that isolating Joe is the solution.”
The letter is the most definitive indication yet of Spotify’s position on Rogan’s future at the firm. It paid $100 million to exclusively host the podcast, so eliminating Rogan puts the company’s bottom line at risk, but it’s also a vital aspect of the company’s plan to become a one-stop shop for audio.
“We should draw clear lines around material and act when they are violated, but muting voices is a dangerous path to tread.” Looking at the issue more broadly, “genuine and required improvement is powered by critical thought and free debate,” Ek wrote. He expressed his “deep regret” for the negative impact the dispute was having on Spotify’s employees.
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