By Brian Stelter, CNN Business
(CNN) — ESPN’s Dan Le Batard is at loggerheads with the head of the sports network, Jimmy Pitaro, over the network’s no-pure-politics policy.
Le Batard, a popular ESPN personality, is taking Monday off from his radio show, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN Business.
But he is still planning to tape his daily TV show, “Highly Questionable,” later in the day.
On the radio last week. Le Batard ripped into President Trump for his racist attacks against four Democratic congresswomen.
“If you’re not calling it abhorrent, obviously racist, dangerous rhetoric, you’re complicit,” he said.
He also blasted ESPN as “cowardly” for instructing staff to eschew political conversations unless politics has intersected with sports in some way.
Following Thursday’s viral commentary, staffers — including Le Batard — were reminded that the policy is still in effect.
Le Batard was back on the air on Friday, and there is no indication that he has been suspended.
The host was “back and forth” with Pitaro all weekend, the source said.
Le Batard came away from the conversations feeling like he wasn’t ready to host his radio show on Monday, and ESPN accepted that.
“He is expected to be on tomorrow,” according to the Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand, who broke the news about the behind the scenes talks between Le Batard and Pitaro.
On Monday ESPN declined to comment on the matter, as it has done since last Thursday.
Le Batard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
