The layoffs across the country at iHeartMedia are still ongoing.
KJMS/WDIA Memphis personality Earle Augustus noted that he was released this morning indicating that the company is not yet done with its current round of staff reductions.
While only a handful of names are listed, there are many others that for multiple reasons have not yet made their departures public. We have heard of many in production roles in particular that were let go including a few who held regional or national duties on the commercial production side and on the local digital content teams.
More people who have gone public with their departure have been added to the list below.
Original Report 6/8: A round of position cuts is underway at iHeartMedia this week.
Sources tell us that revenue projections for the rest of the year are trending downward, which is leading to this round of cutbacks at iHeart’s local station operations as the company sets their budgets for the rest of the year. We are told the cuts are going to be made over a multiple day period, much like the company’s last round of layoffs in the fall of 2020. So far we have heard of dismissals from programming, on-air, and digital departments across the country.
Among the people whose departures have been made public so far are:
Boston
Lance Houston exits as Program Director of Country “101.7 The Bull” WBWL. The Atlanta based Houston was also a member of the National Programming Team and had previously programmed WPOC Baltimore and WEBG Chicago and had a previous six year stint programming WBWL and two tenures on-air at WUBL Atlanta during his fifteen year run with the company.
Chicago
Bart Shore departs as a traffic reporter for Total Traffic & Weather Network and weekend host at AC “93.9 Lite-FM” WLIT. Shore previously spent seventeen years as a traffic reporter for News 780 WBBM and earlier in his career programmed KRNA Iowa City.
Jordan ‘JRDN’ Foster is out as night host at CHR “103.5 Kiss-FM” WKSC. JRDN joined Kiss-FM in 2015 and was promoted from overnights and fill-ins to evening host in October 2019.
Dave Hilton exits as Production Director after 23 years. Hilton joined the company in 1999 after seventeen years at 101.9 WCLR/WTMX where he hosted middays.
Denver
Greg Foster exits as SVP/Talk Programming overseeing News/Talk 850/94.1 KOA, Talk 630 KHOW, and Conservative Talk “Freedom 93.7” 760 KDFD. Foster was also corporate News/Talk Brand Coordinator. He previously served as SVP/Programming for the Denver market and programmed KNRS Salt Lake City and WGY Albany prior to coming to Denver in 2010.
Tim Spence exits as PD of KHOW and 600 KCOL Fort Collins, APD of KOA and Affiliate Relations Director for the Colorado Rockies and Denver Broncos networks. Spence joined the cluster in 2016 after programming the company’s Talk and Sports stations in Hartford and New Haven CT. He previously spent 15 years as PD of Sports “104.3 The Fan” and predecessor 950 KKFN from 1995 to 2005 and Operations Manager at “Front Range Sports Network” from 2010 to 2014.
Robbyn Hart departs as News and Public Affairs Director and morning newscaster for AAA 97.3 KBCO and Classic Rock “103.5 The Fox” KRFX after 26 years at the cluster. Hart also tracked nights on KBCO and served as an anchor/reporter for KOA. Before joining KBCO in 1997, Hart worked at multiple stations in Colorado Springs and Portland OR.
Roger ‘Rocket’ Keeler exits as Imaging Director after 28 years with the cluster. Keeler also hosted the 12pm “Throwback Lunch” on Alternative “Channel 93.3” KTCL.
Fresno
Amanda ‘McGraw’ Burd exits as Program Director/afternoon host at Country “102.7 The Wolf” KHGE Fresno and Program Director of Alternative 106.1 KRAB Bakersfield, Country “92.9 The Big Dog” KOSO Modesto, and “107.1 The Bull” K296GB Sacramento. Burd previously served as APD/midday host of Country “92.5 The Bull” KBEB Sacramento, morning co-host at CHR 104.7 KDUK Eugene OR and midday host at CHR “107.5 Kiss-FM” KIFS Medford OR.
Jacksonville
Toni Foxx departs “The Big Show” in mornings at Country 99.1 WQIK after nineteen years. Robbie Rose and John Scott remain in mornings.
Memphis
Earle Augustus exits as morning co-host on Adult R&B “V101” KJMS and afternoon host on R&B Oldies 1070 WDIA. Augustus joined the company after a long run at Cumulus’ 103.5 WRBO where he served as APD and evening host and then Program Director from 2005 to 2018. Augustus also worked in the market at 98.1 WSRR and 98.9 WJZN along with a previous stint at WRBO.
Minot
Jess Aleshire exits as Regional Production Director for Minot, Bismarck & Dickinson ND and midday host on Rock “105.3 The Fox” KZPR Minot.
New Hampshire
Tim Moore is out as SVP/Programming for the company’s Manchester and Portsmouth NH clusters. Moore joined the company in 2012 as Program Director for their Portsmouth stations and rose to his now former role in 2015. Moore previously spent 21 years in Portland ME programming AC 94.9 WHOM and CHR “Q97.9” WJBQ, and has also worked in Columbus OH and Bangor ME.
Norfolk
DJ Bee departs as midday host at Classic Hip Hop “92.1 The Beat” WHBT-FM and afternoon host and mixer at Hip Hop “103 Jamz” WOWI after 25 years. Bee previously has hosted mornings and nights at WOWI and has mixed at WXYV Baltimore, WBTJ Richmond and SiriusXM.
Rochester
Peter ‘The Mayor’ Kennedy exits his dual role as 9-11am co-host on Hot Talk “Radio 95.1” WAIO and afternoon host on regional AC’s “Y94” WYYY Syracuse, “Mix 103.3” WMXW Binghamton, and “Sunny 102.3” WVOR Canandaigua. Kennedy joined the company as morning host on Hot AC “100.5 The Drive” WDVI in 2012 after 20 years at CHR 97.9 WPXY and three years in middays at Variety Hits “98.9 the Buzz” WBZA.
St. Louis
Gail Austin is out as Program Director and midday host at Country “93.7 The Bull” KSD-FM. Austin joined KSD-FM in December 2018 after previously serving as VP/Programming for Clear Channel Jacksonville and programming WCOL Columbus OH and WQIK Jacksonville.
Tampa
Mychal Maguire departs as Program Director at Hip Hop “95.7 The Beat” WBTP after seven years. Maguire previously served as SVP/Programming for iHeart Montgomery AL, Director of Urban Programming in Maco and PD of WPHH Hartford for the company. He has also worked in Shreveport, Charleston and Killeen TX.
Youngstown
Brian Price exits as afternoon host at Classic Rock “93.3 The Wolf” WNCD and Creative Production Designer for the National Programming Group. Price previously hosted mornings on sister AC “Mix 98.9” WMXY with his tenure at the company beginning in 2001.