Update 8/23: More names have come out as being affected by Audacy’s 5% staff reductions last week.
The new names to come out from last week’s cuts include:
Dallas
Jim Zippo departs overnights at Classic Hits 98.7 KLUV after fifteen years with the station. Zippo has also hosted mornings at KQOL Las Vegas, KTKS Dallas, WDRQ Detroit and served as PD/Morning Host for ABC Radio Networks’ Pure Gold format.
Carlos Estrada exits as midday host at Regional Mexican “La Grande 107.5” KMVK.
Houston
Eli Escobar exits as cluster traffic reporter and midday host at Hot AC “Mix 96.5” KHMX.
New York
Bob Salter is out as Public Affairs Director at Sports 660 WFAN/101.9 WFAN-FM after 30+ years at the station.
Sacramento
Jacob Sudia departs after eleven years in multiple roles most recently as producer of “The Wake Up Call” on CHR “106.5 The End” KUDL since 2019. Sudia has also served as a promotions assistant, graphics designer, promotions coordinator, and video content creator during his tenure.
San Francisco
Rebecca Corral departs as midday anchor at News 740 KCBS/106.9 KFRC after 34 years with the station.
Kevin Radich exits as afternoon sportscaster at KCBS/KFRC. Radich joined KCBS in 2015 after stints with 680 KNBR, 810 KGO, 97.3 KRQR, and 104.5 KFOG in the market. He also co-hosted mornings at Sports 1140 KHTK Sacramento from 2003 to 2005.
Seattle
Emily Raines exits as co-host of “The Morning Wolfpack” on Country “100.7 The Wolf” KKWF. Raines joined KKWF in March 2018 after seven years as morning show producer for iHeartMedia’s “94.9 The Bull” WUBL Atlanta under the on-air name “Freckles”. Host Matt McAllister and new producer ‘Captain Ron’ Koons remain in place.
Updated 8/18 with additional names: The expected layoffs have begun across Audacy.
An Audacy spokesperson confirmed the cuts to the Philadelphia Business Journal telling them, “Over the past few years the company has undergone a ‘transformation journey’ that included growth through acquisitions, platform enhancements, and the addition of hundreds of employees. We remain committed to this exciting transformation which has made us a much stronger organization, but in light of current macroeconomic headwinds, like so many other companies, we have been proactively taking actions to mitigate against the impact of any downturn. These include evaluating budgets, reducing expenses, and also reducing our workforce.” It is expected that the layoffs will affect five percent of the company’s workforce.
Sources have indicated to us that a handful of markets have not had their cuts take place yet, while there are some where there will be no layoffs taking place at this time.
Among the confirmed departures so far:
Austin
John Zenor departs as Public Affairs Director and Host/Producer of Inside Austin on 1370 KJCE and as a weekend host at AC “Majic 95.5” KKMJ.
Denver
Dave O’Brien exits mornings at Classic Rock “99.5 The Mountain” KQMT. O’Brien joined KQMT in August 2019 after fourteen years in mornings at Emmis Country “97.1 Hank-FM” WLHK Indianaplis. O’Brien also has worked at Rock 103.3 WRZX, CHR 93.1 WNOU, and AC 97.1 WENS in the Indianapolis market.
Detroit
Morning Anchor Roberta Jasina departs News 950 WWJ after a stint with the station that began as an intern in 1975.
Las Vegas
“The Playmakers” Lindsey Brown and Adrian Hernandez depart as 3-5pm hosts on “1140 The Bet” KXST.
Engineer Tony Dinkel departs.
Los Angeles
Denise Fondo departs as traffic reporter at News 1070 KNX/97.1 KNX-FM after fifteen years.
Bill Nesbitt departs from his second stint as Production Director at KNX. Nesbitt joined then sister 980 KFWB in 2001 and added duties at KNX in 2008. He departed in 2015 and returned to KNX in 2019. Nesbitt has also worked at 96.7 KWIZ, 95.9 KEZY, 98.7 KYSR, 103.1 KACD/KBCD, and 570 KLAC during his career.
Milwaukee
The entire staff of Sports “1250 The Fan” WSSP has exited as all local programming was eliminated including morning host Bart Winkler, midday hosts Gary Ellerson, LeRoy Butler, Steve ‘Sparky’ Fifer, evening host Tim Allen and producer Evan Heffelfinger.
Minneapolis
Mike Max departs as host of “Sports To The Max” on News/Talk 830 WCCO after 24 years at the station. BringMeTheNews reports that Max, who also serves as sports anchor on WCCO-TV, will be replaced in his 6:30 to 9pm show by 9pm to 12am host Henry Lake with the station picking up the syndicated John Batchelor for late nights.
Max’s producer Craig ‘Hammer’ Schroepfer also departs.
New Orleans
Kenny Kuhn exits as a News and Digital Producer at News/Talk 870 WWL/105.3 WWL-FM.
Pittsburgh
Kevin Battle is out as morning co-host at News/Talk 1020/100.1 KDKA. Battle joined KDKA in February 2020 after serving as an anchor for ox News Headlines 24/7 on SiriusXM and 99.1 WNEW Washington and PD for Sports “105.7 The Fan” WJZ-FM Baltimore. Larry Richert remains anchoring mornings alongside newscaster Paul Rasmussen and traffic reporter Kathy Berggren.
Kristen Buccigrossi departs ‘Y’d Awake” at Country “Y108” WDSY. Buccigrossi has worked in the cluster since 2008 serving as a promotions assistant and fill-in host until moving to mornings in December 2018. Recent addition Tom ‘Cadillac Jack’ Kapsalis and Maria D’Antonio remain in mornings.
Sacramento
Cluster Operations Manager Joe Calgaro is out after a little under two years. Calgaro transferred to Sacramento from Boston where he served as OM and PD of Rock 107.3 WAAF until its sale to Educational Media Foundation in February 2020. Prior to joining Entercom he programmed “102.9 The Hog” WHQG Milwaukee from 2012-2018 as well as stints running 105.7 WAPL Appleton WI, “Razor 94.7” WZOR Green Bay, and “Rock 106” WWCT Peoria IL. He was also the PA announcer for the Green Bay Packers from 1999-2018. Calgaro also programmed “98 Rock” KRXQ and Classic Rock “Eagle 96.9” KSEG.
Ian Massengale departs as co-host of “That Damn Show” in afternoons on “98 Rock” KRXQ. Massengale previously co-hosted mornings at “97X” WYYX Panama City FL. Stroke Mastro, Mikey Muscatello, and Lara Nelson remain in the afternoon slot.
Seattle
John Fisher departs mornings at Soft AC “94.1 The Sound” KSWD. He joined the station in January 2018 after previously spending over two decades as morning host on AAA “103.7 The Mountain” KMTT from 1992 until the station flipped in 2013.
Justin ‘Reverend El Fuego” Robinson departs as producer and co-host of “BJ & Migs” on Rock 99.9 KISW after sixteen years with the station.
St. Louis
Lance Hildebrand departs as morning and afternoon traffic reporter at Hot AC “Y98” KYKY. Hildebrand has spent his entire 44 year career in St. Louis.
Brian Kelly has exited as a general assignment reporter and weekend host at News/Talk 1120/98.7 KMOX. Kelly was on his second stint at the station, working there from 1997 to 2002 and again since 2009. Kelly also spent twelve years at 610 WDAF Kansas City from 1985 to 1997.
Stel Pontikes departs as weekend and overnight host on KYKY and AC 102.5 KEZK. Pontikes also programmed Christian AC “The Spirit” KEZK-HD3.
Derk Brown departs as a news reporter for Adult R&B “96.3 The Lou” WFUN-FM and Hip Hop “Hot 104.1” WHHL.
Washington DC
Reese Waters exits as 12-3pm host at Sports “The Team 980” WTEM. Waters, who also anchors a nightly 7pm show for WUSA-TV, joined WTEM in February 2021. He previously served as a correspondent for ESPN, Versus and The Weather Channel.
This story will be continually updated.
Original Report 8/15: Multiple sources have confirmed to RadioInsight that a round of layoffs are imminent across Audacy’s local markets with the planned personnel cuts taking place as soon as Tuesday.
Audacy CEO David Field and CFO Rich Schmaeling indicated “cost reductions” were coming on their Q2 Earnings Call earlier this month with Field stating, “We are working to enact substantial sustainable savings through a number of measures to improve margins and profitability across the business. We believe we will be able to deliver meaningful cost reductions without hindering our strategic priorities and growth plans.” Schmaeling added, “We are working on a program to meaningfully reduce our expenses and we will provide further details about the scope and extent of those actions on our third quarter call.”
Some of the cuts began last week, such as the exits of morning hosts Jeff Miles and Rebekah Black at Classic Hits 98.7 KLUV Dallas.
Another cut that took place on Friday saw the departure of 6-10pm host Jerry Coleman from Sports “105.7 The Fan” WJZ-FM Baltimore. Coleman had moved from mornings to nights in January 2021. He was on his second stint at the station returning in 2017 after previously hosting nights and serving as a Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens beat reporter. Coleman has also served as APD of “Fox Sports 1370” WVIE in Baltimore and worked at WTEM Washington.
