Sixteen staffers at Santa Monica Community College Public News/Talk/Indie 89.9 KCRW Santa Monica/Los Angeles through voluntary buyouts.
KCRW will also cancel the daily “Greater LA” show hosted by Steve Chiotakis after five years as part of the buyouts. Greater LA currently airs weekdays from 1-1:30pm. Chiotakis is not one of the staffers leaving the station, instead he will become the local host of NPR’s “All Things Considered”.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the exits were shared in an internal memo with other prominent exits including current “All Things Considered” host Janaya Williams and “Morning Becomes Eclectic” co-host Anthony Valadez. Williams joined KCRW in March 2022 after stints as a producer and a reporter for NPR, WWNO New Orleans, and WNYC New York. Valadez has been with KCRW since 2008 after time at 88.5 KCSN, 90.7 KPFK and Dublab and added the Morning Becomes Eclectic co-host role in December 2020. He has also hosted and produced for Fuse TV and the weekend “Alternadido” Spanish Alternative show on Audacy’s 106.7 KROQ that aired on additional stations including KVIL Dallas and WNYL New York.
In a written statement, the station notes, “These changes are hard, but also the best way to ensure KCRW can continue delivering on our mission in an increasingly competitive media environment. We are grateful to everyone who chose to take the opportunity to pursue a different path, and we are excited about the future of this great station.”
KCRW initiated the buyout offers in December with the hope of avoiding layoffs ahead of a $3 million budget deficit. The sixteen departures make up ten percent of KCRW’s workforce.
