- Des Moines, IA: Sports talk station KXnO suffered a catastrophic reduction, losing a large portion of its entire on-air sports lineup and production crew.
- The Quad Cities & Davenport, IA: Long-time radio icons Dani Lynn Howe and Mark Manuel—each holding over 30 years of broadcasting experience—were terminated. [1, 2]
- Denver, CO: Bret Saunders, a massive local radio fixture, was let go as the morning host at 97.3 KBCO after a 28-year run. [1]
- Louisville, KY: Nick Coffey exited his long-standing morning slot at News/Talk 840 WHAS. [1]
- Miami, FL: 24-year afternoon drive veteran Doc Reno was cut from WBGG (BIG 105.9). [1]
Other Major Hubs: Staff dismissals and cuts have been tracked heavily across St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis. [1]
While cost-savings always play a part in staff reductions, we are learning that technology and restructuring are at the heart of this action. A recent memo to employees expressed a plan to leverage new tech capabilities to speed up the sales process.
iHeart observed that recent technology developments encourage the company to improve customer support to sellers, additionally deepen relationships with listeners.
“Faster is better, and that’s the goal of our changes,” the company told employees in a memo (quoted HERE).