Joe Rogan: Podcasts stay on Spotify, boss says

Spotify boss Daniel Eck said while he "strongly condemns" the racial slurs and other statements by US podcast host Joe Rogan, he did not remove them from the platform. Eck's comments were made in a letter to staff seen by Reuters and the Hollywood Reporter.

It follows Rogan's over the weekend for his earlier use of racist language on his popular podcast. Ek said Rogan decided to omit several previous episodes.

The discussion was followed by a music streaming platform and Rogan's reflection on some of the content on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, including the use of non-racist language. Said in the early episodes of his show, which has been running for more than a decade. The 54-year-old apologized "profoundly" and called his earlier use of insults "shameful."

He also apologized for the racist comments about visiting the primarily black neighborhood, saying he was "sick" of watching the compilation and wished he could reply to his remarks.

Ek, Spotify's CEO, and co-founder, said: "While I strongly condemn what Joe said...I want to make one point straight I don't think silencing Joe is the answer."

He believes Spotify should have clear boundaries for published content, saying, "We need to have clear boundaries for content and take action when they're exceeded, but sound suppression is a slippery slope," according to a Hollywood reporter who wrote the full letter.

According to a letter from Ek, Spotify will also spend $100 million (£74 million) to license, develop, also  market music and audio content from historically marginalized groups. He said it aimed to promote "all kinds of artists."

Several artists, including Neil Young and Johnny Mitchell, recently left Spotify to protest Rogan's role in spreading misinformation about the coronavirus. The show features an American TV presenter hosting various guests discussing various issues but some episodes contain false and misleading statements.

Much of the controversy relates to the two recent episodes of Rogan's podcast with cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough and immunologist/virologist Dr. Robert Malone. Both expressed opinions contradicted information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).