NOT LISTENING

Spotify CEO Tells Staff: I’m Sorry About Joe Rogan but I’m Not Going to Ditch Him

Daniel Ek told his staff in a letter that “silencing” Joe Rogan would be a “slippery slope.”

Spotify’s CEO has written a groveling letter to employees to tell them he’s very sorry that the company’s name has been dragged through the mud by the Joe Rogan controversy—but he won’t end the podcaster’s $100 million exclusivity contract. Rogan issued his second apology of the week on Sunday after his repeated usage of the N-word slur was exposed in a viral video. In a message to Spotify staff, CEO Daniel Ek wrote, “There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you... Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful, I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company.” However, although Spotify has taken down over 100 of Rogan’s shows since the controversy began, Ek made clear Rogan would be staying on the platform. He wrote, “I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer... We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”