Former CNN, MSNBC Contributors Ink iHeartMedia Deal to Host Political Podcast Series

iHeartPodcasts announced the launch of Native Land Pod hosted by Angela Rye, Tiffany D. Cross, and Andrew Gillum.

via: The Hollywood Reporter

Native Land Pod is the flagship show in iHeartMedia’s new political podcast network, which is set to launch later this year, and will amplify diverse voices leading up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. In each episode, Gillum, former politician and mayor of Tallahassee, Florida; Cross, TV personality, political analyst and author; and Rye, TV host, social justice advocate, lawyer and commentator will address the news of the week through an unfiltered and unflinching lens.

“As we head into an election year, we’re excited to see how Native Land Pod elevates the political discourse and empowers listeners with new knowledge and diverse perspectives,” said Will Pearson, president of iHeartPodcasts in the announcement.

“Launching Native Land Pod before one of the most consequential elections in our lifetime is our mandate,” said Rye. “Being able to co-host along with friends who have become family to talk about political and social issues from our perspective is an honor.”

Added Cross, “The cable news industry has stubbornly refused to speak to the rising majority of America. That’s where we come in. … We are your relatable political group chat where news is digestible and speaks directly to you.”

Gillum noted, “I’m excited to join Angela and Tiffany for some much-needed tough talk about our politics, our people and our collective work to reshape the way political conversations are had that ultimately inspires listeners to do the work that leads to our greater freedom and political liberation. Listeners can [find] a home where their lived experiences are reflected and where their ideas are validated.”

The series launches Jan. 11 and new episodes will drop every Thursday. (Listen to the trailer below.) In the first episode, they discuss politics in this election year and navigating the cable news industry. The show certainly won’t shy away from controversy — even if it’s personal.

“CNN is in an identity crisis,” Rye says of her former network in the teaser. “They keep launching shows that are epic fails. So, I’m eager to see one succeed.”

Meanwhile, the former Florida gubernatorial candidate gets candid about defeating a corruption case this spring. “I wasn’t guilty, but we can talk about who was — and who still is,” Gillum says. “I’m prepared to unpack a lot of this.”

The teaser ends with Gillum asking Cross, “What the hell went on with you and MSNBC?”

He is, of course, referencing the sudden cancellation of her show The Cross Connection in November 2022. The move, which the network had chalked up to a change in programming strategy for weekend mornings, sparked fierce backlash. Dozens of Black leaders signed a letter to MSNBC president Rashida Jones in response to the decision. “This season is too grave a moment in American history to silence the voices of Black Women who, time and again, save America from itself,” it stated. “Tiffany Cross has long been one of those Black women — and her voice is needed now more than ever.”

Public details have remained sparse, but it seems Cross didn’t mince words on the new pod. “Ooh, where do I begin?” she says. “Well, first of all, let me start with another network talking a lot of shit about me … ” She trails off as music fades in.

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