Cumulus Mandating Employee Vaccinations

• Cumulus Media has become the first major broadcasting company to mandate that employees — with specific exceptions — be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to the office.

That directive was delivered to employees in a Wednesday video presentation from CEO Mary Berner. While the company is not at liberty to share the video or to further comment on the matter, RAMP hears that Cumulus is requiring all staffers — with the exception of those designated as permanent remote and those with legal exceptions — must be properly vaccinated by September 27 in order to return to the offices on October 11. That mandate includes all sales staffers and those working out of the Cumulus corporate offices in Atlanta and New York.

Until that time, the only unvaccinated employees allowed in Cumulus facilities are Location Captains and certain pre-approved board ops, phone screeners, news hosts/anchors and engineers. We understand that unvaccinated Business Managers and Promotions Directors are no longer allowed in the offices at this time.

• We understand that Urban One may be issuing its own version of a vaccine mandate as soon as Friday.