WGA East Weighs On WCBS Demise

• Yesterday Audacy announced it had entered an LMA with Good Karma Brands (GKB) to lease the frequency of venerable All-News WCBS-AM 880/New York to GKB to become the new home of ESPN New York. The loss of this longtime New York radio institution, effective on August 26, also means the loss of numerous union jobs.

To that end, the Writers Guild of America East issued this statement, which reads, “The Writers Guild of America East is devastated that Audacy, the second largest radio company in America, today announced that they are shutting down WCBS Newsradio 880, a trusted news source for New Yorkers since 1924. There were 23 WGA East members laid off by Audacy, and we expect the Company to comply with the applicable provisions in our collective bargaining agreement, including guaranteed severance.”

The statement continues, “Audacy is the owner of more than 200 radio stations in nearly 50 markets. The closure of WCBS Newsradio 880 is another example of consolidation by a major media conglomerate, which ultimately deprives the public of critical local news stories with different perspectives. Audacy’s decision is even more egregious given that this is a critical election year. This is a giant loss for New York City and the news industry at large.”