KROQ Fires Kevin Ryder, Morning Crew
• UPDATED: RAMP has learned that Entercom’s World Famous KROQ/Los Angeles has parted ways with 30-year morning personality Kevin Ryder and everyone on the Kevin In The Morning With Allie & Jensen show, including co-hosts Allie Mac Kay and Jensen Karp, Producer Dave “The King Of Mexico” Sanchez, and teammates Beermug, Old Man Ruben and Destiny Lope
Ryder (front row, left) broke his own news in a series of tweets that started with: “Hey party people! Not sure how to say this, so here it is: Yesterday, @kroq called every one of us on the morning show and told us we were fired. Me. @alliemackay, @JensenKarp, @kroqkom, @kroqbeermug, @Old_Man_Ruben and @destinymlopez.
Two follow-up tweets from Ryder read: “Why did @kroq fire all of us on the morning show? I assume it’s the ratings, which were down. The economy because it’s down. But it’s a pretty crappy way to treat people. We’re humbled by you spending any time with us. THANK YOU. (Going to sleep for about a week :),” and this one: “One last thing. There are 3 guys here to throw me out of the building. (I couldn’t make this up). Not necessary. Leaving. :)”
Ryder’s departure comes four months after his longtime Kevin & Bean partner (and fellow Radio Hall of Fame inductee) Gene “Bean” Baxter left the show — and the country, and moved to London. In that same gap, KROQ’s longtime PD Kevin Weatherly also departed, reportedly to Spotify. We are awaiting further updates.
• For his part, Baxter (left) shared his thoughts via tweet from London, as he posted, “I am so sad for my talented wonderful friends at @kevinmornings. Mornings in SoCal are much worse off without them and I can’t wrap my head around it being done by phone during a pandemic. That’s no way to treat a Hall Of Fame show, @Entercom @kroq.”
• Yesterday, Ryder was allowed to sign off in a lengthy on-air farewell (audio posted to YouTube, below) that was equal parts emotional, shocked, grateful… and angry, as he related, “I’m truly baffled by KROQ’s cold, heartless attitude toward the people who built this station. They’ll say it’s just business, but for a long time, it wasn’t. For a long time, it was family and no business.”
Ryder added, “Our boss said, ‘You know, there’s never a good time for this.’ No — but there is a bad time for this, and it’s during a global pandemic when all the businesses are basically shutting down,” Ryder said. “It’s not a great time to be looking for a job. So the King of Mexico, Beer Mug, Omar, Old Man Ruben, Destiny — all of us were fired and we’ll have to look for work.” The full text of Ryder’s KROQ sign-off is published in Variety.
