Entercom ‘Reimagines’ Country & Alt, Makes Cuts
Entercom’s David Field delivered a bracing slice of “good news/bad news” Thursday in a lengthy company memo that outlined the start of “a new chapter in our Country and Alternative formats with enhanced content and listener experiences” and a continued commitment to local programming, while at the same time acknowledging some widespread, high-profile personnel cuts — many from the programming ranks, as we have shared with you in this list that is updating in real time.
Among the moves in Country and Alternative, as outlined by Field, was “Elevate Our Best Programmers and Personalities into Larger Roles — Give our most talented programmers greater responsibilities to reimagine and elevate our content while amplifying some of our top shows across larger regional and national audiences.” Field added, “To be clear, Entercom will remain local, first and foremost. As the industry’s #1 home for premium, original audio content, we will continue to make the industry’s largest investment in local talent. From our iconic local news brands, to our top-ranked music channels, to our unrivaled sports stations – our engaging and compelling personalities remain the heart of our original local programming. We will continue these large investments in our local product and talent, as well as new local features across our brands. In addition, every station will continue to have its own unique playlist driven by a continued commitment to heavy local research.”
Field then addressed the departures, noting, “While this is an exciting time of growth and transformation and we look forward to the creative opportunities that lie ahead, we also recognize that change is hard. As we make the necessary changes to best serve our listeners and customers, it is difficult to part ways with members of our team who have made significant contributions to our company over the years. We are grateful to them for their service. In order to assist in their transition, we are providing enhanced benefits for each affected individual and wish them the very best.”
In closing, Field added, “At the same time, we are excited by the new professional growth opportunities that these changes are enabling across the organization. Many members of our programming and national sales teams, including a significant number of brand managers, personalities, content creators, producers, sales executives and more will be stepping into new, expanded roles. Congratulations to all of those who are being promoted or growing their responsibilities as part of these changes.”
