A few more names have been added to the list of cuts at iHeartMedia this week.
Fernand Amandi – 10am-12pm host on News/Talk 610 WIOD Miami.
B-Rock – Weekend host at CHR “FM 97” 96.9 WLAN-FM Lancaster PA.
Tom Campbell – Morning Host at Classic Hits “B101.5” WWBB Providence
Dan Eidem – News Director for News/Talk 1510 WLAC Nashville
Mackenzie – Midday host at Rock 96.3 WROV Roanoke. Contact at mackenzievoiceover@gmail.com
Melissa Kerr – Morning co-host at AC “Sunny 99.9” KTSM-FM El Paso. Co-host Bill Clifton moved to afternoons as the station added the syndicated Murphy, Sam & Jodi for mornings.
Travis Moon – Director of Country Programming for Austin/San Antonio. PD of 98.1 KVET-FM and 101.1 KASE Austin and “KJ 97” 97.3 KAJA and “92.5/93.3 The Bull” KRPT San Antonio.
Jeff Stapleton – News Anchor/Reporter at News/Talk 1140 WRVA Richmond.
Update 5/5: The names of those cut at iHeartMedia continue to come in:
‘Brad B’ Boyington – Night and Slow Jams host at CHR “KJ 103” KJYO Oklahoma City
Jason Doyle – Afternoon host at News/Talk 1000 KTOK Oklahoma City
Macha Gruber – Creative Production Designer for iHeartMedia Atlanta
Melissa Krinksy – Marketing Director for iHeartMedia Atlanta
John ‘Cornflake’ Watkins – Morning co-host at Rock 97.5 KMOD Tulsa
Brian Reed – Afternoon co-host Sports “1430 The Buzz” KTBZ Tulsa
Jackie Rinker – Panama City FL Market Manager
Logan Kelly – Program Director of AC “Sunny 98.5” WFSY Panama City FL
Mike Jurecki – Morning host at “Fox Sports 910” KGME Phoenix
‘Captain Dan’ Jackson – Morning Host at AC “Sunny 106.3” KKLI Colorado Springs
Mark Johnson – Sports Director News/Talk 850 KOA Denver
Original Report 5/2: Another round of staff trimming has been initiated at iHeartMedia as the company attempts to come up with solutions to trim its debt load.
The moves come ahead of iHeartMedia’s first quarter financial earnings report this Thursday. The San Antonio Express-News reported today that company is expected to post another quarterly loss and that cash flow was down more than 20% for the quarter despite a revenue rise amidst increasing flirtation with bankruptcy.
Among the names let go in this round include:
Bo Matthews – Senior Vice President of Programming for Cincinnati and Program Director of Rock 102.7 WEBN and CHR “Kiss 107” WKFS.
Brody – Night host at CHR 93.3 WFLZ Tampa.
Matt Shepard – Morning host at Sports 1130 WDFN Detroit.
Britta Cleveland – Midday host at Country “B93.7” WBCT Grand Rapids.
Brook – Morning co-host at AC “Star 105.7” WSRW Grand Rapids.
Launa Phillips – Music Director/Night Host at Country “US 103.5” WFUS Tampa.
Ed Palmer & Randy ‘Mudflap’ Wilcox – The Program Director and Morning hosts and Country “Eagle 92.9” WEGX Florence SC.
Marlon George – New Orleans Senior Vice President of Sales/Market President
Jim Fisher – Program Director 99.5 WRNO New Orleans/710 WNTM Mobile/104.9 WBUV Biloxi.
Bob Christopher – News Director New Orleans
Rob Sanford – News Director 1300/106.9 WOOD Grand Rapids
Chuck Fredrick – Market Manager of iHeartMedia Cincinnati and longtime General Manager of 700 WLW and 102.7 WEBN.
Pacey Williams – Morning Host at Rhythmic Hot AC “V101” KHYL Sacramento and host on Pride Radio.
Meg White – Morning co-host on Hot AC 98.1 WKDD Akron OH.
Mike Smith – Morning Show Producer/Community Affairs Director for Classic Hip-Hop “V101.5” WSOL Jacksonville.
We’ve heard reports of other names as well, but have yet to second source these names or hear from them directly.
Best wishes to all involved and if you’d wish to have your contact info listed e-mail us at news@radioinsight.com.
Mark Johnson was let go as KOA’s sports director…
https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/165278/koa-denver-sports-dir-mark-johnson-exits-station-r
The truly depressing thing is, it does next to nothing to solve the $20B in debt load.
Yeah just wait until iHeartMedia declares bankruptcy. That’ll very likely involve iHeartMedia’s radio stations being put up for auction, and it’ll be the end of the road for iHeartMedia.
If iHeart does declare bankruptcy in the very near future, you’re going to see a “fire sale” of their radio assets.
And that will significantly drive down the value (and potential sale prices) of all radio stations.
If the CBS Radio/Entercom merger doesn’t get completed by the time of an iHeart bankruptcy, the amount of money CBS could get for it’s radio stations will be vastly reduced…..perhaps by at least half if not more.
Les Moonves knew his close… bow out of radio as soon as freaking possible. They should be able to get the merger through with minimal impact.
It’s Mary Berner and Cumulus that really need to worry. They’re desperately trying to avoid bankruptcy and financial ruin, and an iHeart collapse will doom Cumulus in short order.
Good luck finding any buyers at the rates said bankruptcy creditors would charge. There’s no way that they’d allow 800+ stations to be sold for literal pennies on the dollar… not when Bain Capital demands at least some ROI.
iHeartMedia may consider moving their focus on more major radio markets and divest their smaller market stations to owners who focus on small markets such as Alpha Media and Townsquare Media.
There have been smaller markets and stations sitting in trust for sale for almost a decade. No takers.
It would be almost impossible to find someone to loan money to “The Old Radio Guy Broadcasting Corporation” after the wholesale collapse of the largest company in the business. Even if that was possible, that lender would be keeping a very, very tight rein on expenses. 6 full time DJs in market number 160? Don’t think so. People expecting a return to radio as it was done in the 60s and 70s might not want to hold their breath, for a variety of reasons.
An iHeart implosion will be bad enough. When Cumulus joins them in bankruptcy, as it is increasingly likely, there may be over 1,000 stations from both companies – plus the two largest radio syndication services, and other significant ancillary properties – on the market.
With next to no takers on ANY of those properties, at least for the overinflated price tags the creditors would be charging.
Well- if the stuffed suits at Bain were silly enough for the 47% comment, maybe they will have another lapse here. Stands to reason the explosion is going to be huge, but until it hits rock bottom and the dust settles, resurrection will never begin.
The MOST depressing aspect here!
WEGX-92.9 has, according to their website, already replaced the local Ed Palmer & Randy Wilcox morning show with the iHeart-owned Premiere Networks’ syndicated Bobby Bones show.
Speaking of Bobby Bones… has he too seen his contract “extended” like Elvis Duran, Steve Harvey, et al, have?
I wonder if Laurie DeYoung will get laid off and her morning show on 93.1 WPOC in Baltimore will be replaced with Bobby Bones.
“Captain Dan” Jackson of Colorado Springs’ KKLI is apparently out…
http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-radio-personality-captain-dan-and-iheartmedia-part-ways/article/1602365
Also, Mike Jurecki tweeted that he’s now gone from KGME in Phoenix.
I neglected to include this link about Mike Jurecki…
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/2017/05/03/mike-jurecki-says-hes-off-air-fox-sports-910-phoenix/309978001
Also, today’s RAMP mentions Macha Gruber, who had been the Atlanta cluster’s creative production designer and a weekend talent for WRDA.
Today’s RAMP includes a couple of names in Panama City: market manager Jackie Rinker, and WFSY’s Logan Kelly.
And, ironically, it looks like Colorado Springs’ Fox affiliate yesterday posted a “Job Swap” feature involving one of its anchors and KKLI’s morning show–which was apparently produced before Dan Jackson’s dismissal…
http://fox21news.com/2017/05/04/job-swap-tv-anchor-craig-coffey-tries-his-luck-at-morning-radio
Don’t hold your breath for that fire sale of radio stations. Chapter 11 is the most likely scenario.
Since he’s suspended indefinitely for assaulting a guy and leaving him for dead at a gas station they might as well cut Joe Aguiar from The River 105.9 in Hartford.
From today’s RAMP, another name in Denver: Jim Lawson, who had been the cluster’s SVP of programming.
Cornflake is out at KMOD.. Well that sucks the morning show will not be the same. listing to KMOD’s Big Mad Morning show is a great way to start off the day. To bad iHeart can’t keep their stream working though. If things gets worse, maybe the whole show will move over to 105.7 The Bone.