Mass radio redundancies in the USA
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James Cridland posted on Friday 7th December 2012 at 21:48From the excellent RadioInfo newsletter from the US…
RadioInfo had been hearing rumors of cuts coming at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and on Thursday the axe fell for many in the programming departments of Clear Channel stations. The following is a list, by market and by no means complete, of some of the folks who are out of work now: Los Angeles: Stella Prado, eight-year program director (and 20+-year station veteran), adult contemporary KOST; Robert Lyles, marketing director, KOST and hot AC KBIG; Lindsey Sopp Kovar, “Love Songs” producer, KOST; Christine Martindale, swing talent, KOST; Doc Bailey, production, KOST and KBIG; Monica Medina, programming assistant, KOST; Trever Trent, mid-days, alternative KYSR; Joel Elliott, board-op, urban-rhythmic oldies KHHT; KBIG; KYSR; and talk KTLK-AM. Chicago: Angie Zdanowski, marketing/promotions manager; Glenn Cosby, nights, urban AC WVAZ; Effie Rolfe, assistant program director/music director/mid-days, gospel WGRB. Dallas: Josh Venable, program director/mid-days, alternative KDGE; Adrian Hummel, producer, CHR KHKS, and KDGE. Houston: Josh Reno, morning drive producer (“Walter & Johnson Show”), classic rock KKRW; Walton & Johnson, mornings KKRW. Philadelphia: Bob Stei, part-time, alternative WRFF. Atlanta: Tim Michaels, mid-days, country WUBL; Miguel Aguilar, afternoon drive, regional Mexican WBZY. Detroit: Kristin Burns, assistant program director, classic rock WDTW; Dave Dahmer, afternoons, WDTW; “Jag,” mid-days, CHR WKQI; Frankie Darcell, afternoons, urban AC WMXD; Eric Chase, afternoons, sports WDFN; Dan Watkins, morning show, adult contemporary WNIC; Jenna Cork, morning show producer, WNIC. Miami: Michael Yo, afternoon drive (12 years), CHR WHYI; Rich (Michaels) Minaya, afternoons, talk WIOD. Seattle: Josh Sabrowsky, producer, sports KJR-AM Minneapolis: “Thorn,” music director/mid-days, adult alternative KTCZ; Mike Morris, morning co-host, sports KFXN. San Diego: Don Ayers, morning producer, talk KOGO; Jeff More, afternoon producer, KOGO Pittsburgh: Flick, APD/MD/afternoons, CHR WKST Tampa: Steve Versnick, program director, talk WFLA, and sports WDAE; Ryan Nelson, music director/mid-days, country WFUS; Jenny Dean, co-host, jock WFUS; Ty Demeza, promotion coordinator; “Stu,” afternoon drive, urban contemporary WBTP. Denver: “Uncle Nasty,” afternoons, rock KBPI; Eddie Barella, overnights/imaging director, KBPI; Joe Niko, weekend/swing, adult alternative, KBCO; “Keefer,” afternoons, KBCO; Julie Hayden and Chuck Bonniwell, part-time, talk KOA. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: Bob Ridzak, Market Manager; Jesse Duran, program director, rhythmic CHR KGGI Cincinnati: Jay Gilbert, afternoons, rock WEBN Cleveland: “Kasper,” assistant program director/music director, CHR WAKS Orlando: Ken Payne, 14-year program director/afternoon drive, adult contemporary WMGF; Catherine Brown, program director, talk WTKS; “Bull,” mid-day producer, WTKS; “Cabin Boy,” nights, WTKS; “LT,” nights, rock WJRR Columbus: John Crenshaw, program director, country WCOL; Andy Clark, morning drive, classic hits-oldies WODC; Amy Donovan, mid-days, WODC; Kevin Kirschner, afternoon drive, WODC Austin: Joel Burke, program director, country KASE and country KVET (also afternoons on KASE); Keith Carlyle, promotion assistant.
Ouch. There’s a lot of radio folks out of a job over there.
(For background: ClearChannel is struggling with clearing its debt. It has loans of $10.1 billion which needs repaying, or refinancing, in 2016.)
I don’t think it’s correct to assume that ClearChannel couldn’t get the finances to purchase Global Radio; but I don’t, similarly, think that it’s correct to assume that they’d be interested in it.
And you are always welcome to post comments here, of course, on the news – preferably under a proper name. If we can help add additional tools to make that easier, please do let us know in our feedback area. As you’re doubtless aware, the quality of discussion here is considerably better.
Naturally… but it would have offered an interesting perspective for them!
This isn’t the first time Clear Channel have ditched a lot of people because of their debt problems. They are in a terrible position, mainly because of an historic debt situation caused by a buying spree some ten or more years ago. Somehow it’s hard to see how they will survive, the staffing cutbacks have decimated stations and there can’t be much left to cut. It does tend to bear out that perhaps biggest isn’t always best, Clear Channel are certainly paying the price of being “biggest at any cost”.
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Saw this on RT a few days back, and were I not spending the rest of my days trying not to drop the soap in the shower of DS Jail, I’d have posted it there with the words, “Something to read for those who still think a) Global is the anti-Christ and b) everything about US radio is awful.”
From a UK perspective though, I’m guessing such a black hole rules out any potential takeover of Global?