Audacy Undergoing Companywide Layoffs
• UPDATED: RAMP has confirmed that Audacy is undergoing a round of corporate downsizing affecting its central and local teams. While exact numbers are unconfirmed, early estimates ran as high as 100; however the company states that the cuts will impact “less than 2%” of its workforce.
In a statement sent to RAMP, an Audacy spokesperson commented, “Audacy is performing well against our 2024 business plan, and we are on track to emerge as a stronger and healthier company, well positioned for a bright future as a differentiated, scaled industry leader with the industry’s strongest balance sheet. As we continue to make large investments and drive enhancements across our business, we are simultaneously implementing some difficult but necessary decisions that will impact less than 2% of our workforce to best position our company for long-term growth.”
We are now beginning the challenging process of gathering the names of adversely affected employees. If you or a colleague has been caught up in this reduction in force and would like your information shared with the industry, please email Kevin@RAMP247.com. We will update this list as we get additional information. Here are some of those downsized employees:
Christine Richie, evening personality at WNEW (New 102.7)/New York, a 12-year station veteran. Richie previously did nights for seven years at the late WPLJ/New York, preceded by stops in Philadelphia. Contact her at xtinerichie@gmail.com.
Suzanne Rozdeba, Digital Editorial Director is out, along with most of her team. Rozdeba joined Audacy in January 2019 as Digital Managing Editor and was upped to her most recent role in July 2022. Earlier stops include Bauer Media Group, CBS, and NBC News. She can be contacted at srozdeba@gmail.com.
Jessica Levy, Sr. Director, Social Media Content & Strategy, a five-year company veteran and one of the original Radio.com team members. Levy formerly worked at SiriusXM, Rolling Stone, and Time Inc. (now Meredith). She can be contacted at jessannlevy@gmail.com.
Also out: National Social Media Managers Emily Burton and Scott Krava. Burton can be contacted at emily.aleece@yahoo.com or via her LinkedIn page.
On the eve of the NFL Draft, Mike Kadlick took to Twitter to announce his departure from WEEI/Boston, where his beat was the New England Patriots. “My time with @WEEI has come to an end due to company-wide reductions,” he wrote. “Very tough to swallow right before the NFL Draft, but I’m looking forward to continuing covering the #Patriots in some way.”
• Bay Area media pro Rich Lieberman reports that KCBS-AM/San Francisco has parted ways with weekend/fill-in anchor Dan Mitchinson, reporter Alice Wertz and longtime overnight traffic anchor Frank Munich.
NEW, April 25:
• RAMP has confirmed the departure of Rick Dayton, afternoon anchor at News/Talk KDKA Pittsburgh. To compensate, KDKA has extended Larry Richert‘s morning show from 5:30-10am, followed by Marty Griffin from 10am-2pm, and Colin Dunlap from 2-6pm.
• On the corporate level, the company has parted ways with Jake Kaplan, Director of Imaging and Sound Design, and John Principale, Sr. Director of Consumer Marketing. Kaplan is a 22-year company veteran who was elevated to his national role two years ago. He earlier served as OM/Creative Director for Top 40 KAMP (97.1 AMP Radio) — now KNX-FM/Los Angeles and the company’s LGBTQIA-targeted Channel Q. Kaplan has also worked his sonic magic with the World Famous KROQ & KCBS-FM (93.1 Jack FM)/Los Angeles, and the former WHFS/Washington. He can be contacted at jacobkaplan1@mac.com or 323-459-1479.
Principale was a 17-year company veteran, dating back to CBS Radio, where he also did part-time on-air at the former 92.3 NOW/NY. Earlier in his career Principale was APD/MD/middays at KMXP/Phoenix, and was on the promotions team at Z100/New York. Reach him at johnprincipale@gmail.com.
• In Chicago, Crain’s Chicago Business reports that five of the eight digital staffers at WBBM Newsradio were terminated. That report is largely confirmed by now former WBBM staffer AnnMarie Welser, who posted: “WBBM Newsradio just laid off over 60% of their digital staff — myself included. Looking for a new position in the journalism or digital media industry. Please reach out if you have any leads. Thank you!” Welser is a multimedia journalist who has also worked for Bloomberg, The Economist, NowThis, KCPT and EURACTIV. She can be contacted at AnnMarieWelser96@gmail.com.
• We’re also hearing that Keith Johnson, afternoon co-anchor on WBBM has exited just shy of his 30th anniversary.
• Billy Kidd, 30-year industry vet, exits Audacy Dallas, where he was part of the Production Hub and did traffic on Classic Hits KSPF (98.7 The Spot). Kidd enjoyed earlier successful runs in middays on KKJK (100.3 Jack FM) and mornings on 98.7 KLUV. Reach him at billykidd@live.com.
• We also understand that Chuck Taylor has exited afternoons at AC WRCH (Lite 100.5)/Hartford after a decade in the shift. Elsewhere in the building, The Laurel is reporting the downsizing of reporters Kevin Gorden and Greg Little from News-Talk WTIC-AM 1080. The Laurel story goes on to state, “The move leaves only three people in the newsroom of a station once considered essential to the Connecticut news audience. We have also received a report that over night local news programming has been suspended or eliminated and replaced with a national network news feed from CBS.”
