Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday announced that it would be canceling its “America This Week” show with Eric Bolling, as the conservative commentator has announced plans to host a new podcast with former NFL quarterback Brett Favre.
According to a statement shared with The Hill, Sinclair said this Sunday’s episode of the show will be the last, “as Eric has decided to pursue other professional opportunities.”
“We want to thank Eric and his team for their hard work, dedication and commitment to bringing this show to our audiences each week for the past two years,” a Sinclair spokesperson added in the statement. “We wish Eric the best in his future endeavors.”
Bolling, who has faced criticism for airing misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, confirmed the start of his new podcast, “Bolling with Favre,” in a tweet Thursday morning.
“Let’s have fun again! America, we need some laughs,” Bolling wrote, adding that the first episode is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.
According to the show’s Apple Podcasts description, Bolling and Favre will cover topics such as sports, politics and business, with new episodes released every week from LiveXLive’s PodcastOne.
The cancellation of “America This Week,” which has been sent to stations owned by Sinclair in 81 markets across the country, comes after one episode of the show was pulled from the air in July due to an interview Bolling did with conspiracy theorist Judy Mikovits, who claimed that Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, created the virus that causes COVID-19.
In a statement on social media at the time, Bolling wrote, “I have always welcomed all points of view on my show and have consistently stood for free speech in my 15 years in media.”
“In this case, admittedly I was caught off guard by some of Dr. Mikovits’ claims,” he continued. “At no point did I agree with her. Further, I brought on another doctor to debunk the theories she espoused. I repeat: I do not agree with Dr. Mikovits.”
According to the AP, Bolling was edited by his bosses again in October after he said, “it’s damn near certain this virus has to have been altered in a Chinese lab,” and “closing down cities and economies and wearing your tube socks around your face hasn’t slowed the virus down.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts have repeatedly shown that wearing masks reduces the risk of transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19.
—Updated at 2:24 p.m.