Atlantic City/Cape May iHeart Layoffs Hit WZXL and WAYV

[andygradel]

iHeartMedia Layoffs Continue Into Thursday

iHeartMedia initiated a programming realignment today as it intends to scale its "new tech capabilities over the last several years".

radioinsight.com

Atlantic City NJ​

Joe Borsello & Scott Reilly’s “JoJo & Scotty Morning Show” departs Rock 100.7 WZXL after seventeen years at the station. The duo previously worked together in mornings at 103.7 WMGM-FM, while Reilly held roles at 102.7 WJSE and WYSP Philadelphia. Borsello wrote, “Radio has been a huge part of my life since I started in college, and I feel incredibly blessed to have spent so many years doing something I genuinely loved. When I got into the business, it was fun, creative, unpredictable, and challenging. Back when I was doing nights in Colorado Springs, I was able to do things on that show that would never happen today. I worked with an amazing staff and put in countless hours to produce a show I was proud of. Later, I was fortunate enough to move back to New Jersey and continue my radio career just miles from where I grew up.”

---

The Mike & Diane morning show has come to an end at CHR 95.1 WAYV. Diane Mitchell has been with WAYV since 1999 after previously working at WPST Trenton and WBBO Ocean Acres. Mike Kelso replaced the previous ‘Mike’ in 2014 after stints as PD/morning host at WBBO and WWZY Long Branch. He commented, “Welp, that’s a wrap. 19 years working in radio and it ends on a random Wednesday. I could write a whole thing about the ups and downs of the industry but I’ll let you read about it later. But the thing I’ll miss the most is being able to take my kids to the studio and do cool things with them. It’s a long time coming but it’s time to re-invent myself and get a big boy job. If you have any ideas what a guy that spent 19 years trying to be funny professionally can do for a living, let me know.”

So, at this point, 'ZXL and 'AYV are wall-to-wall voice-tracked shifts? If so, that's a sad, sad state of affairs as the corporate radio death spiral continues...

 

[Miguelito]

Sad for the folks impacted, though I am surprised iHeart took this long to do it. The writing was on the wall when the sale was announced. "Cookie cutters, coming soon to the Jersey shore!"

I always thought it ironic that we all wanted to start in our small markets and work our way up to the majors, only to watch as those markets became career minefields. Now the conglomerates are buying clusters in places like Atlantic City and gutting them too. It's really just pathetic.

 

[luperm]

So, at this point, 'ZXL and 'AYV are wall-to-wall voice-tracked shifts? If so, that's a sad, sad state of affairs as the corporate radio death spiral continues...

Sad? Yes. However, the writing was on the wall long before iHeart came to town.

Please enlighten us if you have ideas as to how any owner can support significant "live and local" airshifts, especially in a tertiary market like Atlantic City given the declining revenue situation facing radio. Or are people still convinced that if we go back to the "good ole days" (24/7 live talent, fully staffed newsrooms, etc.) truckloads of revenue will somehow magically appear?

 

[TheBigA]

Sad for the folks impacted, though I am surprised iHeart took this long to do it.

Gary Fisher sold these stations 3 years ago. It's likely he had a clause in the sales agreement that iHeart had to retain staff for a period of time. That time is likely over. Shouldn't be a huge surprise to any of these people. Everyone who works at iHeart signed an employee agreement that they are "at will employees."

Now the conglomerates are buying clusters in places like Atlantic City and gutting them too. It's really just pathetic.

Nobody forced Gary to sell. He sold a couple to K-Love as well. We all know how K-Love operates. Somebody has to own these stations. Whoever that entity is has to deal with the fact that revenues are declining. They were declining with live & local morning shows.

This isn't about conglomerates. Gary sold for a reason. He could see either he would have to fire these people, or someone else would have to fire them. He chose the latter.

In the meantime, there are still live & local morning shows at Townsquare and Press. My suggestion is to enjoy them while you can.

 

[XCountry285]

iHeartMedia Layoffs Continue Into Thursday

iHeartMedia initiated a programming realignment today as it intends to scale its "new tech capabilities over the last several years".

radioinsight.com

So, at this point, 'ZXL and 'AYV are wall-to-wall voice-tracked shifts? If so, that's a sad, sad state of affairs as the corporate radio death spiral continues...

I can see The Fred Show coming to WAYV.

 

[Miguelito]

Gary Fisher sold these stations 3 years ago. It's likely he had a clause in the sales agreement that iHeart had to retain staff for a period of time. That time is likely over. Shouldn't be a huge surprise to any of these people. Everyone who works at iHeart signed an employee agreement that they are "at will employees."



Nobody forced Gary to sell. He sold a couple to K-Love as well. We all know how K-Love operates. Somebody has to own these stations. Whoever that entity is has to deal with the fact that revenues are declining. They were declining with live & local morning shows.

This isn't about conglomerates. Gary sold for a reason. He could see either he would have to fire these people, or someone else would have to fire them. He chose the latter.

In the meantime, there are still live & local morning shows at Townsquare and Press. My suggestion is to enjoy them while you can.

I never said Gary, Gary, Gary was to blame for any of this. Of course, he was going to sell at some point. Such is life. But yes, what is actually being discussed here (not Gary, Gary, Gary) really kinda is about conglomerates.

 

[atthestars]

Not condoning what iHeart has done AT ALL, but let's remember the stations were barely staffed under the previous ownership. When iHeart took over, they put national voicetrackers in place where stations were just automated jukeboxes. The few live local talent that were left all seem to be gone. WZXL now lists "Battle" in mornings (tracked in from Nashville). WAYV doesn't have anyone listed in mornings yet. WTTH and WZBZ I believe were already all out-of-market trackers.

 

[Miguelito]

I admittedly no longer keep a close eye on what terrestrial stations are doing, especially down in Atlantic City/Cape May (though that's certainly where I was focusing my attention 30 years ago, but things were interesting then). What's happening in Philly is ever so slightly on my radar, but these days I am really just looking at the broader industry.

So, I don't know what Equity was doing with its stations before the sale. I have heard loud and clear that most of the airstaff at stations like WAYV had already been fired. I guess what I'm wondering is: Were those jobs cut as part of regular, continuing operations, or were they cut to make the stations more enticing to potential buyers?

Separately, to address a comment from earlier in this thread, I am almost certain I remember it being mentioned that iHeart was contractually obligated to retain Equity airstaff for some stated period of time.

Also separately: I used to work in that area, and I lived close enough to listen to those stations. If that were still the case and I had a daily commute, the connection to a morning show like Mike & Diane might be the only reason I'd be listening to terrestrial radio in the car (or at all). I suppose companies hope listeners might stick around and see if they can make that connection (was it 20 years?) with whatever syndicated or tracked show turns up. Even though most listeners won't know whether the voices are coming from Bayport One, I wonder how many of them are willing to "make new parasocial friends" these days. The day I tuned in and found a different show is the day I'd start streaming my own music or listening to commercial-free stations on Apple Music or Amazon Music.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

 

[atthestars]

So, I don't know what Equity was doing with its stations before the sale. I have heard loud and clear that most of the airstaff at stations like WAYV had already been fired. I guess what I'm wondering is: Were those jobs cut as part of regular, continuing operations, or were they cut to make the stations more enticing to potential buyers?

Purely cost cutting. According to Lance in his updated article, there's no one local left on-air in Atlantic City. But also markets like Erie, Cedar Rapids, and Spokane where there's no local presence.

Doubt it will be to sell them off. It'll be to nationalize formats and ad buys while saving talent money. But I want to know how much iHeart spent to build out new studios across the country just to have no one in many of them now.

 

[andygradel]

Sad? Yes. However, the writing was on the wall long before iHeart came to town.

Please enlighten us if you have ideas as to how any owner can support significant "live and local" airshifts, especially in a tertiary market like Atlantic City given the declining revenue situation facing radio. Or are people still convinced that if we go back to the "good ole days" (24/7 live talent, fully staffed newsrooms, etc.) truckloads of revenue will somehow magically appear?

Without seeing what the current revenue looks like for any of the stations involved, it's just conjecture and random dart throws. However, I think any station that's 100% V/T with zero local presence has absolutely no chance of stabilizing - let alone growing - their audience and will fade into oblivion. Might as well just be Spotify on shuffle.

I find it hard to believe that these stations couldn't be profitable with an on-air staff of two local jocks, one handling an extended morning show and one handling an extended afternoon slot, with a real focus on the community they're serving. I know it's apples to oranges, but I think WKYZ/Key West is a good example. Adult rock station mixing in some local flavor that's mostly jock less, but staffed in the right dayparts, has local news updates during the morning show, etc. If a station in market #450+ can do it, find it hard to believe a station in market #150+ can't.

Otherwise, what's the value proposition for someone to tune into any of these stations over their favorite playlist or any of the million other streaming options that are a click away?

 

[TheBigA]

Otherwise, what's the value proposition for someone to tune into any of these stations over their favorite playlist or any of the million other streaming options that are a click away?

It's free, no subscription required, no username or password. No obligation.

Just turn it on, and it plays your favorite songs 24/7, and asks for nothing in return.

 

[ted chittenden]

It's free, no subscription required, no username or password. No obligation.

Just turn it on, and it plays your favorite songs 24/7, and asks nothing in return.

A whole lot of streaming-only stations don't charge the listener as well. (The primary reason for this is that the recording industry demands more money from those who charge their customers to listen.) In other words, outside of the on/off switch and the ease of tuning radios, there is really no difference between many streaming-only stations and broadcasters these days. And while I know you like to point to Spotify and others like it, I have to counter with my first point that these guys are the exceptions to the rule.

 

[TheBigA]

A whole lot of streaming-only stations don't charge the listener as well.

But they want your information anyway. Broadcast radio asks for nothing. You are anonymous. Some people are concerned about privacy.

there is really no difference between many streaming-only stations and broadcasters these days.

This only affects iHeart. Change the station over to Wibbage and you have live & local talent.

WIBG Radio

94.3 FM | 1020 AM | 101.3 FM | 101.9 FM

www.wibg.com