Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), chair of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, will bring his unique perspective as a leading intelligence expert and former FBI agent to Cumulus’ WestwoodOne to host a nationally syndicated radio program.
Rogers will first serve the end of his term until January 2015.
“It’s been an exciting run,” he told Michael Patrick Shiels on the Big Show (seen on Michigan TV and radio stations) 3/28. “I saw this as an opportunity that was hard to pass up – to have a bigger platform and talk about things I care about.”
Rogers told Shiels that he wants a broader platform and less all-or-nothing dialogue than what he experiences in DC.
“Washington is an interesting place, but it seems it has ground to a halt in progress in some places,” Rogers said. “I thought if there was a way we could change the dialogue, is it better to do it where I’m at or is it better to try and find an opportunity that allows you to talk to a lot more people across the country?”
Rogers said on Shiels show that he turned down the radio hosting opportunity twice but said yes the third time. When asked what time of his day his show would air, Rogers was vague, prompting Shiels to wonder if the Congressman might fill Rush Limbaugh’s time slot, noted mLive.com.
As a media-savvy politician who last year appeared on more Sunday public affairs show than any other elected official in the nation, Chairman Rogers will play an important role helping Americans understand critical issues that impact their lives.
Rogers has played a key role shaping critical national security policies. Chairman Rogers was involved in the country’s most urgent matters including the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the debate surrounding NSA-leaker Edward Snowden, the search for Malaysia Air 370 and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. He observed last weekend on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Russian president Vladimir Putin “goes to bed at night thinking of Peter the Great and he wakes up thinking of Stalin” when he called for a tougher U.S. approach to the annexation of Crimea.
Cumulus will also provide exclusive content from its extensive stable of talk content assets through digital audio provider Rdio.
Chairman Rogers will play a leading role across each of these platforms.
“We are thrilled to have Chairman Rogers join our team. He has been instrumental helping to shape many of the most important issues and events of our time and will play a significant role in our expanding content platform,” said Lew Dickey, CEO of Cumulus.
Rogers began his career in public service as an officer in the U.S. Army. He went on to become a Special Agent in the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, where he worked to bust mobsters and crooked politicians. After serving in the Michigan State Senate, he was first elected to Congress in 2000 and is now Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
From his perch, Chairman Rogers has worked with two Presidents, Intelligence Community leaders and Congressional Leadership to develop the tools necessary to help America’s security professionals catch terrorists and spies. Rogers spearheaded efforts to combat malicious cyber attacks from nation states like China, Russia and Iran and helped create the highly successful counterterrorism program in the rugged border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
