Podcast giant Joe Rogan said on his show Thursday that Fox News was smart to try to keep former host Tucker Carlson locked down in his contract and to not let him go out and pursue other media ventures.

Rogan responded to Carlson’s ouster by saying that Carlson was “really designed for the internet” rather than cable news and that it was “very shocking seeing him leave.”

“He’s going to [be on the internet], unless they’ve paid him off to like — I mean, if I was a person in a position of power and a wildcard like Tucker Carlson got released from Fox News and maybe Rumble makes a deal with him or something like that,” Rogan said. “Do you have any f***ing idea how big that would be? How big his show, it could make that app, it could make that platform. I mean, if Tucker Carlson goes over there, it’d be worth it for them to invest a considerable amount of money.”

“But if I was Fox News, that’s the last thing I would want,” Rogan said. “So I would make sure that we have him locked up for the entire term of some contract, some no-compete, and pay him off. You’d be better off just giving him the same amount of money he made when he was on the air than you would if he was opposing you.”

Rogan added, “They’re f***ing Fox News, man. They’re smart. They’re not stupid.”

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TRANSCRIPT:

JOE ROGAN, PODCAST HOST: He’s really designed for the internet. 

DAVE SMITH, COMEDIAN: I hope he goes there.

ROGAN: He’s going to, unless they’ve paid him off to like — I mean, if I was a person in a position of power and a wildcard like Tucker Carlson got released from Fox News and maybe Rumble makes a deal with him or something like that. Do you have any f***ing idea how big that would be? How big his show, it could make that app, it could make that platform. I mean, if Tucker Carlson goes over there, it’d be worth it for them to invest a considerable amount of money. But if I was Fox News, that’s the last thing I would want. So I would make sure that we have him locked up for the entire term of some contract, some no-compete, and pay him off. You’d be better off just giving him the same amount of money he made when he was on the air than you would if he was opposing you.

SMITH: I wonder what he’s already under contract for, you know what I mean? Like, there may already be some clause in his contract that says, you know, if we leave, there’s X amount of time. I don’t know. 

ROGAN: I’m sure. They’re f***ing Fox News, man. They’re smart. They’re not stupid. It was very shocking seeing him leave. 

An ESPN veteran female baseball reporter was reportedly fired after calling another female reporter the c-word.

Marly Rivera , who had worked at ESPN for 13 years, was feuding with freelance reporter Ivon Gaete after Rivera told Gaete that Rivera had a planned interview with New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. Gaete — who happens to be the wife of MLB vice president of communications, John Blundell — also wanted to interview Judge, precipitating an argument in which Rivera called Gaete a “f***ing c***.”

“She no longer works here,” ESPN told The New York Post regarding Rivera, whose verbiage was caught on video.

Rivera reportedly tried to apologize after the incident but Gaete refused to accept the apology.

“I fully accept responsibility for what I said, which I should not have,” Rivera, who has appeared on Sunday Night Baseball telecasts and serves as an ESPN Radio MLB playoff game analyst, told The Post.

“There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions. I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements,” she added.

Previous incidents in which Rivera had confrontations with other members of the media were revealed after her firing.

Two people informed The Washington Post that Rivera had called a reporter competing with her to take photos of a Hispanic player a “white b****.” Rivera also reportedly called a fellow Latino reporter  a “fake Hispanic.”

In July 2022, Rivera spoke with ESPN’s ”Front Row,” which asked, “What does it mean to you to serve as an SNB analyst on ESPN Radio?”

“It is an honor to have been selected as a sub for my colleague Doug Glanville, Rivera answered. “And knowing the voices that have filled that seat, it is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.  As the first woman baseball writer to be an analyst on a national broadcast – and only the second Latina to do so after my colleague Jess Mendoza – I hope to inspire one person out there who does not believe whatever they hope to accomplish in their own lives is possible.”

Rivera’s bio has been removed from the ESPN press room website.