iHeartMedia has begun a new round of layoffs affecting dozens of workers in its local radio broadcasting units, The Desk has learned.
The layoffs are part of a broader restructuring promised in iHeart’s first quarter (Q1) financial earnings report earlier this year.
The changes were outlined in a memo distributed to employees by iHeartMedia Multi Platform Group CEO Ann Marie Licata and Chief Programming Officer Tom Poleman, who said the company plans to scale technology capabilities developed over the past several years to improve efficiency and better support sales teams.
In the memo, Licata and Poleman said the company’s objective is to “move faster and operate with greater precision across markets” while leveraging technology to deliver stronger products for listeners and advertisers.
The executives acknowledged that some positions are being eliminated as part of the transition, while new roles would be created to support future business needs. Already, dozens of employees have been received pink slips, including long-time radio broadcasters in Anchorage, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Birmingham.
In Anchorage, Casey Bieber exited after 23 years with the company, including roles as Program Director of KGOT and KASH. Fort Myers personality Todd Matthews departed after a 33-year run hosting mornings on WIKX and additional shifts on other cluster stations.
In Pittsburgh, longtime air personality Val Porter left after more than three decades with the cluster, while Russ “Whip” Rose exited WXDX after first joining the station in 1995.
St. Louis saw multiple departures, including Tony Mott from KLOU, Dustin “Haze” Monroe from KSLZ and BJ Holiday, who spent 41 years with the company in various programming, community affairs and on-air roles.
Other known exits include Birmingham personalities Spencer Graves and Madison Reeves Williams; Indianapolis afternoon host Erica “Ms. E-Klass” Coleman; Springfield Vice President of Programming Clint Gerlek; Pensacola Vice President of Programming Brian “Crash” Edwards; Phoenix programmer Lois “Double L” Lewis; and Little Rock afternoon host Bo Dalton.
Many of the affected employees announced their departures through social media posts, with several citing decades-long careers at iHeartMedia.
The layoffs are connected to a forthcoming $50 million cost-savings initiative, which is expected to begin later this year. During its Q1 earnings report, iHeartMedia said the program would be in addition to roughly $100 million in cost reductions already implemented or planned this year.
The restructuring marks the latest effort by iHeartMedia — the largest independent owner of commercial AM and FM radio stations in the country — to streamline operations amid ongoing economic pressures facing the radio industry.
Like many media companies, iHeartMedia has increasingly leaned on technology, shared services and multi-market programming strategies as it seeks to improve profitability while maintaining audience reach across its more than 850 radio stations nationwide.
