Alpha Media made another round of cuts at its stations in suburban Chicago.
Leslie Harris exits as midday host at Classic Rock “95.9 The River” WERV Aurora. She was on her second stint at the station as she returned in 2017 following a previous tenure in middays and nights from 2007 to 2014. Harris has been a stalwart in the Chicago market since the 1980s with time at 99.5 WUSN, 105.9 WCKG, 890 WLS, 103.5 WWBZ, 107.9 WYSY, 103.5 WRCX, and 94.7 WXCD between 1982 and 1998 before leaving radio for a decade to raise her kids.
Maura Myles is out as midday host at Country 98.3 WCCQ Crest Hill/Joliet. Myles joined WCCQ in June 2019 after eight years in the same daypart at sister Hot AC “Star 96.7” WSSR Joliet. Myles previously co-hosted mornings on Classic Hits 94.7 WLS-FM Chicago and has spent time as a news anchor/traffic reporter at 890 WLS and 670 WMAQ and morning host at Christian AC “106.7 The Fish” WZFS among other Chicago stations.
Their exits follow the departures of WCCQ afternoon host Chris Miles and Chief Engineer/air talent Scott Childers at the end of February.
While nothing is confirmed, the rumor mill is swirling that Alpha will soon be making programming changes to expand at least one of its brands to an additional signal similiar to how it combined all three of its Chicago area Hot AC’s as “Star” in March 2023. That move followed a previous layoff in the region.
