A handful of anchors and reporters at Audacy All-News stations have made sudden retirements the past few weeks.
A pair of veteran anchors at 1010 WINS New York announced their departures last week. Midday co-anchor Larry Kanter had been with WINS since 1992 after stints at 570 WMCA and 710 WOR. Evening anchor Paul James preceded Kanter retiring at the end of April. James spent 37 years on air in New York including stints as News Director at 101.9 WPIX-FM and at ABC News Radio.
Mark Abrams retired as a reporter and anchor for 1060 KYW/103.9 WPHI Philadelphia last week after 24 years at the station. Abrams joined KYW in 1997 after serving as a reporter and columnist for the Reading Eagle and weekend news anchor early in his career at 610 WIP and 950 WPEN Philadelphia.
Friday, May 14 will be the final day on-air for 740 KCBS/106.9 KFRC San Francisco morning sports anchor Steve Bitker. Bitker has been with KCBS since 1991 after tenures as a sportswriter for the Redwood City Tribune, newswriter at 560 KSFO and news anchor at 680 KNBR plus a few years in Tokyo as a news and sports anchor for Japanese Cable Television. He also served as play-by-play voice for the now defunct Sonoma County Crushers minor league baseball team. In an internal memo Director of News and Programming Jennifer Klurfeld Seelig wrote, “Without a doubt, Steve delights in his job. He is an exemplary broadcaster, a fastidious journalist and a revered Bay Area sports historian. But he is also a husband, father, doting grandfather and world traveler. Steve has a substantial bucket list, and he’s decided it’s time to tackle it – without the intrusion of an alarm clock and twice-per-hour deadlines.”
Additionally three staffers have reportedly been let go from 1070 KNX Los Angeles. Alan Oda reports that business correspondent Frank Mottek, morning sports anchor Randy Kerdoon, and production coordinator Rich Hudson. Mottek spent 29 years at KNX where he also anchored the former “KNX Business Hour” and previously worked at 940 WINZ Miami. Kerdoon had been with KNX since 2003 and has also been a sportscaster for 980 KFWB, KTTV-TV, and Fox Sports Net.
Congratulations to Larry Kanter on an amazing career and enjoy #retirement !!! We’ll miss you always at @1010WINS pic.twitter.com/dl11Wqklyy
— Jim Powers (@JRNYJim) May 7, 2021
