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Miriam Weaver, co-founder of conservative media duo “Chicks on the Right,” announced Monday her plans to leave WIBC-FM 93.1 morning radio program “The Mock ’N Rob Show” later this month.
Weaver, known as “Mock,” told listeners she intends to devote her full-time energy to “Chicks on the Right” work with co-founder Amy Jo Clark after the final “Mock ’N Rob” episode airs on Jan. 28.
Clark, known as “Daisy,” and Weaver co-hosted a radio edition of “Chicks on the Right” from 2013 to 2020 on WIBC, a station owned by Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications. Clark left the show to work for an undisclosed technology firm in Texas, and Weaver launched “The Mock ’N Rob Show” with Rob Kendall on Nov. 2, 2020.
David Wood, vice president of programming for Emmis stations in Indianapolis, applauded Weaver’s tenure in an email to staff members that Emmis provided to the IBJ.
“Mock has been an incredibly hard worker, talented commentator and witty observer of politics and life,” Wood wrote. “We are sad to see her go, but excited to see her continue to build the Chicks on the Right enterprise with Amy Jo on Facebook, podcasts and other platforms. She will always have a home at WIBC.”
During a 10-minute segment on Monday’s “Mock ’N Rob” episode, Weaver mentioned that Clark recently left the job she started after her time at WIBC. The second half of Weaver’s on-air announcement focused on companies that require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees.
“I need to say one more thing about what led me to make this decision,” Weaver said. “Because it’s not just about ‘Chicks on the Right.’ It’s also about Amy Jo and I having a chance to report to no one—except each other, I should say. So, that’s a big deal right now, especially in light of all of the employer mandates. And we’re working for a company right now that has those, and is actually looking at potentially having more of those, when it comes to the booster. And I just am not interested in sticking around to see whether or not I have to deal with that. I would rather be in a position where I know I don’t have to worry about it.”
Since Dec. 1, Emmis has required employees to be fully vaccinated, barring an approved medical or religious exemption.
In a statement provided to IBJ, Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan said proof of a booster vaccination is a likely upcoming step for the company.
“Emmis is committed to creating and maintaining a healthy work environment,” Smulyan said. “As part of that commitment to our employees, and as most leading employers in central Indiana did, we mandated COVID vaccinations as a condition of employment, and will likely do the same with the booster shot. This corporate approach is not met with universal acceptance, and that is OK—we are doing the right thing overall to keep our employees healthy.”
Weaver, who appears with Clark on “Mock & Daisy’s Common Sense Cast” on the Radio America podcast network, told the IBJ that vaccination mandates were a secondary reason for her departure.
“The primary motivation is definitely our chance to be full-time ‘Chicks,’” Weaver said. “It’s the first time in 13 years we are both in a position to be able to do that, thanks to the success we’ve had with our podcast and social media. It’s fantastic timing, in that we will no longer have to worry about being subject to mandates from any employer. And we are excited about that.”
On Monday’s WIBC broadcast, Weaver characterized herself as a proxy for people who comply with vaccination mandates but disagree with employers.
“I am in this really lucky, fortunate position right now where I don’t have to stick around to find out if I have to deal with more mandates,” she said. “And so I’m going to represent, I guess, the people who can’t stand up and take a stand. I will be the representative for all those people. Now, will that make a change? Will that result in Emmis, for example, doing away with mandates? I don’t know, probably not. Will it result in other employees leaving? I don’t know, probably not. But I will feel good about my decision.”
On Monday, the Indiana State Department of Health reported that 3.58 million Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Welcome to mandates. Welcome to options.
Mandates for health and safety in the workplace can be balanced with options to work remotely.
Alas, a thorny issue regarding when one’s individual freedom may impact the health of others.
What next: vaccinated-only vs anyone-come venues, private dining or other activity clubs with vaccination requirement for membership.
Should endemicity be achieved and Covid becomes a concern more akin to the flu, perhaps then restrictions will disappear. Until that time however some wish to be more prudent than others.
Of note also is that vaccine refusal is not only embraced to a significant extent by the right. Many youth and minorities who lead left also eschew vaccines and masks, citing government distrust and likely targeting of specific groups with material masquerading as a vaccine but actually for nefarious purposes. Many youth having contracted Covid did not suffer significant symptoms and therefore feel vaccines and masks are not useful. That they may pass on an infection to other is not a key concern. Left and right anti-vaxxers abound.
lol
Ultimately Ennis is free to run its business into the ground if that’s what it chooses to do, but the idea that it’s for their employees health and safety is such a crock.
This week the CEO of Pfizer admitted the truth: “Two doses of the vaccine offer very limited protection, IF ANY (emphasis added). Three doses with a booster offer reasonable protection against hospitalization and deaths.”
In other words, if you’re triple vaxed, maybe you’ll stay out the hospital, AT BEST, regardless of my vaccination status. If I’m not vaxed, maybe I go to the hospital, but that’s my problem, not yours. And for this we’re destroying our supply chains and our economy.
And by the way, we know nothing about the long term safety of these so-called vaccines, but we are learning more and more each day about their effectiveness, or lack thereof. I seem to recall Fauci guaranteeing us that the vaccines were 95% effective against contracting Covid19. How’s that working out?
The vaccine was 95% effective against COVID Classic. Funny how science works. Situations change and new information comes out, and now there are new recommendations. I am sorry science the world did not stand still for your expectations.
As long as there are numerous idiots that over look ” reasonable protection against hospitalization and deaths” and skip the shots, we can’t treat COVID like a seasonal flu. Unlike the flue, we will still have to expect people quarantine after they get sick because otherwise they might kill one of those idiots that had the “freedom” to choose. Your Freedom means our continued quarantine, just to protect the idiots.
“If I’m not vaxed, maybe I go to the hospital, but that’s my problem, not yours”
What an absolute joke, Keith. That attitude is so idiotic and selfish. Perhaps hospitals should turn you away when you need medical care as to not “run their business into the ground” serving those too stupid to understand basic science.
“maybe I go to the hospital, but that’s my problem, not yours. And for this we’re destroying our supply chains and our economy.” – You are the problem. You are problem. Did we say you are problem yet? You’re view of COVID is real bad.
Misstating the facts, as usual. If you’re taking up the last bed with your (unvaccinated) Covid and I come in with a heart attack and can’t be admitted, your bad decision does effect me.
Keith Put down the comic books and let’s get into reality . If you approach a stop light and it’s red the laws say to stop – for your safety and others – if you choose to run the red light you put yourself and more importantly others in danger of injury or possibly even death. This isn’t rocket science .
Exactly. Keith wouldn’t understand this analogy.
When Emmis programming years ago took a hard right and focused more on political propaganda and less on local news, They lost me as a listener. I am glad to hear though that the company’s management hasn’t practiced what its on-air talent preached.
But if Vaccine works and your vaccinated, why do you care about un-vaccinated? Asking from a 3x vaccinated person.
Because when some drunk driver hits our car, or when our elderly parents have a heart attack or stroke, there’s no room at the hospital for them or me thanks to the unvaccinated.
Because every person who contracts Covid stands the chance of causing a variant. If it didn’t, I’d say, “go ahead and get sick – see if I care”. And as someone else pointed out, Covid patients are taking beds from people who might need them to survive some other malady. Were a Covid variant to come along which is as contagious as measles and as fatal as ebola, and the only way to survive it were to be vaccinated (antivirals wouldn’t help; e.g. such as Lilly’s against omicron), you’d see a lot of fast converts.
The Mock and Rob Show had little of the personality and energy the previous Chick OTR show had. Laughter was forced, topics were lightweight and neither seemed to be having a good time. That Mock bailed due to simple vaccine mandate for the good of all shows her selfish disregard for others.
Why should anyone have their career ruined by Rob Kendall when they can huck MyPillow, Nutrisystem, and gold elsewhere and keep a far larger chunk of the profits?
https://www.radioamerica.com/mock-daisy/
I am ancient enough to recall when WIBC played music you trusted what Fred Heckman said. Those days in radio are long, long gone…
I am ancient enough to recall when WIBC played music and that you trusted what Fred Heckman said. Those days in radio are long, long gone…
Email has just become click bait for the far right. No show is worth your time.
I quit listening as soon as they added Robbie Kendall to the show. He’s just an awful human being. I’m surprised the COTR put up with him for this long.
The show became intolerable once Rob Kendall was on full time. He and Tony Katz have the most annoying radio voices I have ever heard.
Funny that ratings don’t seem to show the masses agree with y’all about Rob or Tony!