Another Round of Downsizing At Audacy
• UPDATING: The Audacy downsizing continues…
• Seattle: Matt McAllister, who doubled as morning host on KKWF (100.7 The Wolf)/Seattle and afternoon talent on KMLE/Phoenix. McAllister launched The Morning Wolfpack on KKWF in October 2017, coming off a nine-year run in mornings alongside Ben Campbell on iHeartMedia Country 102.5 KNIX/Phoenix. McAllister’s show was added to afternoon drive on KMLE in Oct. 2024. He posted a video to Facebook announcing his departure.
• Pittsburgh: Maria D’Antonio, midday personality on WDSY (Y108)/Pittsburgh. D’Antonio was doing weekends and fill-in on WDSY and sister WBZZ (100.7 Star) until Feb. 2016, when she was elevated to full-time middays. In Sept. 2020 D’Antonio was named co-host of the new Y’d Awake morning show alongside Stoney Richards and Kristen Bucigross, and later, teamed with Cadillac Jack. That show lasted until April 2023, when the station hired Broadway & Friends for mornings and D’Antonio shifted back to middays. Prior to joining CBS Radio Pittsburgh, D’Antonio spent four years in mornings on crosstown WLTJ. Read Maria’s extensive farewell message posted to her Facebook page.
• Rochester, NY: Hope Breen has exited her role as Producer of the Bee Morning Coffee Club with Billy Kidd & TJ Sharp on 92.5 WBEE. Breen is a successful local social media influencer who for the past nine years has operated ROC The City With Hope, “Helping locals become tourists & creating Rochester & Finger Lakes enthusiasts.” She joined WBEE in Nov. 2023. Breen shared the news of her unscheduled departure in an Instagram post. Reach her at hope@rocthecitywithhope.com.
• Houston: Morning duo Frito & Katy are out at Country KILT-FM (100.3 The Bull)/Houston after 15 months. Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey were hired in early 2025, relocating to Houston after three years in mornings on CMG Country KCYY (Y100)/San Antonio. They originally teamed up at Bryan Broadcasting Top 40 KNDE (Candy 95)/Bryan-College Station, TX, where Frito was also OM of the group and Katy was PD of Candy 95.
• Minneapolis: Greg Thunder exits his morning co-host spot on Country KMNB (102.9 The Wolf). Thunder was elevated from weekends to the morning show in Dec. 2018. Thunder’s extensive resume includes prior Twin Cities’ stops at KTCZ, KDWB and KSTP (KS95)/Minneapolis as well as Hot 97 and WPLJ/New York, KMPS/Seattle, KALC/Denver, KGOR/Omaha, KILT-FM (100.3 The Bull)/Houston and KSWD (94.1 The Sound)/Seattle.
• Cleveland: Joe Czekaj, a seven-year veteran of Audacy Cleveland exits as cluster traffic reporter and night and weekend talent on Classic Rock 98.5 WNCX. In a LinkedIn post, Czekaj said, “I very much loved working for Audacy (WNCX, 92.3, Star 102, and Q104) and after 7 years with them, I was informed today that my position has been eliminated. Thank you to all who tuned in and for the immense support over the years. I’m not sure where I’ll go from here.”
• Hartford: David Simpson, 30-year company veteran exits his position as afternoon drive talent at WRCH/Hartford. Simpson’s lengthy and impressive resume includes programming and on-air stints at 92PRO-FM/Providence, WPLJ and WCBS-FM/New York, WTIC-FM/Hartford and WBMX/Boston. He can be reached at dgsimpson56@gmail.com.
• Riverside: Vicki Pepper, 13-year veteran of Country KFRG (K-Frog 95.1), where she was Traffic Reporter, Public Affairs Director and doing Weekends/Fill. Earlier stops include KUZZ/Bakersfield, After MidNite (Associate Producer), and the former KZLA/Los Angeles (Programming Assistant). Reach her at vickipepper@aol.com.
• Seattle: Doug Duin exits as APD/MD/afternoon talent at Hot AC KSWD (Emma 94.1) and APD of Classic Hip Hop KHTP (Hot 103.7). Duin joined Audacy in Jan. 2022, after nearly decade of service across the street with iHeartMedia.
If you or a colleague has been similarly affected and would like your information to be shared in RAMP, please email Kevin@RAMP247.com.
