Six iHeart Casualties ‘Un-Dislocated’
• While still living through a hellacious week of large-scale personnel downsizing across iHeartMedia, we stumbled across this bit of welcome daylight — citing “extensive backlash” from listeners, management of iHeartMedia Sports-Talk 1460 KXNO/Des Moines, IA has reversed its decision to fire six employees and has rehired them. According to WHO-TV, KXNO on Tuesday had terminated PD Andrew Downs, along with Travis Justice, Heather Burnside and Sean Roberts of The Morning Rush, and Chris Williams & Ross Peterson of The Sports Fanatics –– all part of the company’s ongoing restructuring.
KXNO GM Joel McCrea told WHO-TV he noticed the angry reaction to the news from thousands of listeners in Iowa and had reconsidered his decision to restructure KXNO. He was given permission by iHeartMedia to re-hire the employees, and tells Channel 13 that the shows will not only return next week, but KXNO will now be simulcast on 106.3 FM, a 25,000-watt station, a move that will significantly increase KXNO’s reach. McCrea says he will also apologize to listeners on the air. Doubling down on his act of contrition, McCrea also posted this message on the KXNO Facebook page.
This rare turn of events was joyfully tweeted by Keith Murphy, co-host of KXNO’s daily Murph & Andy Show, along with a photo of our returning champions, minus a temporarily absent Sean Roberts.
