Hubbard News 103.5 WTOP Washington DC announced to staff this morning that the company is offering contract buyouts in the form of a Voluntary Separation Program for all full-time non-managerial staff who work in the station’s newsroom for the station, website, or website development.
The buyouts are not available for the remainder of the station’s departments and are completely voluntary to staffers who are 55 years or older and whose tenure with the station would add up to 65.
In the memo, Senior Vice President and General Manager Joel Oxley wrote, “During the pandemic, in DC and across the country in all Hubbard markets, there was downsizing. WTOP programming did not downsize. We hoped that the economy, radio listening in DC, radio listening at WTOP and our revenue would all come back close to 2019 levels. In 2021 we made some progress, but in 2022 both listening and revenue have gone backwards from 2021 levels, let alone where they were compared to 2019. In the past number of months we have reduced controllable costs wherever we were able to in marketing, outside vendors and not replacing personnel. We felt we needed to take this additional step of offering the Program to continue to try to be more in line with the current economic landscape, while giving eligible employees the opportunity to choose whether to accept the separation packages being offered in connection with the Program. Any eligible employee who elects to participate in the Program will receive the specific separation package offered to that employee, subject to the conditions identified in the Program.”
Additionally, the station has announced that Craig Schwalb has departed as Director of Content Integration and Operations. Schwalb joined WTOP in March 2020 after previously spending 5+ years as Program Director of Conservative Talk 770 WABC New York. He has also programmed WPRO Providence, WKRK Detroit, WRBZ Raleigh, KFNS St. Louis, and was Senior Director of Talk Programming for SiriusXM and APD of 102.7 WNEW New York during its Hot Talk period.
