The ongoing Cumulus Media layoffs have reached their Central Pennsylvania stations in Harrisburg, Lancaster and York PA.
Dave Russell exits as Program Director/afternoon host of AC 103.3 WARM-FM York after nine years. Russell is in his third stint in that building as he began his career with an eleven year run at 910 WSBA from 1988 to 1999 where he would rise to APD and Promotions Director. After programming WEZQ Bangor ME and then WCTO and WLEV Allentown PA, he would join WARM-FM as PD in 2007 while also spending time as afternoon host and morning co-host. Following a budget cut in 2009, he would then spend the next two years as a fill-in host across Cumulus’ clusters in Pennsylvania until joining Forever Media to program Oldies “The Pickle” WPKL/WKPL in suburban Pittsburgh from 2011 until joining WARM-FM in 2015.
WARM also has dropped John Tesh’s syndicated show at night.
AJ Cobain departs afternoons at Country “I105” WIOV-FM Ephrata/Lancaster. Cobain joined the station in 2018 after spending a decade at iHeartMedia where he served as Traffic/Sales Assistant, Public Service Coordinator, and hosted nights at Variety Hits “Y102” WRFY Reading. Cobain wrote, “I was informed this morning that my position in Afternoons at I105 has been eliminated. After 6 years, that’s a wrap. I’ve been lucky to talk on the mic for the past 16 years, and doing what I love, but hey, it happens! It was an honor working with everyone in the York and Harrisburg buildings throughout this time. Huge thanks to everyone who believed in me. And a huge thanks to everyone who listened to me every afternoon, and for making me a part of your day. Not sure what’s next after this, but I’m gonna process this and figure all that out.”
Venetia Stephenson is out as APD/MD/afternoon host at Rhythmic CHR “Hot 106.7” WWKL Hershey after two decades. She previously spent time as APD/MD of “Hot 101” WHOT-FM Youngstown OH after starting her career as Promotions Director at Sunbury Broadcasting in Sunbury PA. She has also served as the national midday host for Westwood One’s Hot AC network.
Gary Sutton departs mornings at News/Talk 910/93.9 WSBA York. Sutton had been with WSBA since 1991 and a full-time host at the station since 1997 starting as co-host of its Sports show. He is also a longtime high school basketball coach in York where he was inducted into the local Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Dave Russell
This one literally hits close to home. two of central PA’s best talents. Gone, like they never even mattered. Yeah, yeah yeah, blah blah, radio is a business, but it seems to me like radio is going out of business. Imagine getting hired for a job, and no matter what your performance goals are, no matter what your aspirations are, no matter what you do for the company, you can just be gone. Nobody can tell me this happens in every business, because it doesn’t, if it did, there would be audits! at the very least, a plan, that benefits more than stockholders and CEOs and the actual employees and customers who utilize the business. So again I say, is radio a business, or is it going out of business? even if you bring up small stations, moves like this affect the agency rates. I’ll say it, because no one else in the business can, or will.
BC—Thanks. It still stings a bit. But I came out fine on the other side. I am hosting a Talk show at 830 WEEU in Reading. Working for John and Kristine Treese. And I’m having fun. I don’t miss the managerial responsibilities one bit. Had enough of that. Radio is dying a quick death at the corporate companies. Many stations being turned into glorified juke boxes. I don’t blame the programming people at all in Central PA for that. I do blame Cumulus corporate—Mary Berner and the board—and local upper management in Harrisburg. They clearly don’t give a damn about the product anymore. The death at radio at the corporate stations will continue. Local owners and serving your communities are the only thing that will save local radio,