Sacramento radio station KFBK has let go of Amy Lewis, a veteran news broadcaster who has been the staple of the station’s morning drive programming for more than a decade.
Lewis was released by KFBK (1530 AM, 93.1 FM) shortly after the end of her morning news broadcast on Wednesday, according to an industry insider. Lewis later confirmed her departure to The Desk, saying the move was “not my idea.”
An iHeartRadio executive confirmed to The Desk Wednesday afternoon that “Amy Lewis is no longer with KFBK.” The executive said more information about changes at KFBK would be made available in a press release on Thursday.
Lewis began her career in Sacramento in 1980 and returned to KFBK in 2006 after a short stint in Los Angeles. According to a biography on the station’s website, Lewis has won a number of awards during her radio career, including commendations from the Radio and Television News Directors Association and the Associated Press Television and Radio Association.
iHeartMedia has not formally named a replacement for Lewis, though an industry insider told The Desk that rumors circulating in the station pointed to Cristina Mendonsa as Lewis’ replacement. Mendonsa, a former television news anchor, has a podcast distributed by KFBK and contributes news reports for the station.
Mendonsa has not yet returned a request seeking comment.
Lewis’ departure is the second modification KFBK has made to its news programming in the last two months. In June, The Desk reported KFBK had dropped Bill Herrenda as a sports anchor and modified the job responsibilities of Pat Walsh as part of the station’s decision to eliminate sports coverage from its news broadcasts.
