Sounds like the entire KXNO staff was let go today. IHeart started cuts today to start rolling out more centralized and revamped programming.
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Iowa All KXNO staff was let go
- Thread starter radiorobert
- Start date
Wasn't this the station that had so much backlash the last time the hosts were let go, that they were reinstated? So much for learning from past mistakes.
Backlash doesn't pay bills. iHeart is continuously losing money, so cuts will continue.
Yep, but for some reason I don't think the outrage is going to be there this time. KXNO has lost alot of its luster. Ratings tanked in recent years plus they have already made cuts in recent years and had alot leaner staff roster.
Not the entire staff. The vast majority but not all.
KXNO Drops Morning & Afternoon Shows
Over the past six years iHeartMedia Sports 1460 KXNO Des Moines has gone from having the majority of its local airstaff let go, to having them rehired and the station adding an FM simulcast on 106.3 KXNO-FM Ankeny, and becoming a statewide network in August 2024, to now having its lineup gutted...
radioinsight.com
It's tough to be a sports station in a market that has no major league professional teams. I see KXNO-AM-FM is #9 in the Des Moines ratings. The team carries Minnesota Vikings football and St. Louis Cardinals baseball.
Yes, the hosts can talk about local university teams. But Des Moines sports fans are probably all over the place in which pro teams they follow for football, baseball, basketball and hockey. The map shows Des Moines is actually a bit closer to Kansas City, about 200 miles. Then Minneapolis: 240 miles, Chicago: 330 and St. Louis: 340. So who do you root for? Every big professional team is at least four hours away driving.
Yes, the hosts can talk about local university teams. But Des Moines sports fans are probably all over the place in which pro teams they follow for football, baseball, basketball and hockey. The map shows Des Moines is actually a bit closer to Kansas City, about 200 miles. Then Minneapolis: 240 miles, Chicago: 330 and St. Louis: 340. So who do you root for? Every big professional team is at least four hours away driving.
Who airs the two major (University of Iowa, Iowa State) and one not-quite-major (Northern Iowa) state universities' sports on Iowa radio these days? All three should have large followings statewide. The AAA Iowa Cubs should have at least some local baseball interest.
Back when I lived in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area in the mid '60s, the Twins were the #1 pro team as far as Iowa fan interest was concerned, airing on WHO as well as WCCO. I don't remember who aired the Vikings on radio at the time, but all games aired on then-WMT-TV/2 Cedar Rapids on CBS. The baseball Cardinals were easily received on KMOX, but I do remember the 1964 World Series vs the Yankees airing on WHO. We even brought transistor radios to school to hear the games. I don't recall them being aired locally, mostly because WHO had almost statewide coverage and local broadcasts probably were redundant.
They really don't talk much about major league sports, other than some NFL and maybe the Cubs. The shows are basically Iowa, Iowa State and Caitlin Clark talk as those are the topics that drive the sports conversation in Iowa. The midday show leans more into gambling so they will talk major league sports from that angle.
The only reason the show with Trent Condon and the soon to retire Ken Miller was spared is because they are independent contractors and do not work directly for iHeart.
Most of the other KXNO hosts from the past are doing podcasts. Chris Williams started a podcast network called Iowa Everywhere and many of his former co-workers went over there.
I guess this means that Stugotz may get cleared in Iowa.
The only reason the show with Trent Condon and the soon to retire Ken Miller was spared is because they are independent contractors and do not work directly for iHeart.
Most of the other KXNO hosts from the past are doing podcasts. Chris Williams started a podcast network called Iowa Everywhere and many of his former co-workers went over there.
I guess this means that Stugotz may get cleared in Iowa.
WHO and WMT are co flagships for the Iowa Hawkeyes statewide network, KDRB 100.3 FM in Des Moines is the ISU network flagship and KCVM 93.5 Waterloo/Cedar Falls is the Northern Iowa flagship for a small network. Several stations throughout the state carry Chicago Cubs games.
I lived in Des Moines briefly in the late '90s. As far as national sports go, allegiances are all over the place. For baseball, the Chicago Cubs do dominate, due in part to the presence of top farm team the Iowa Cubs (I-Cubs).
NFL relies heavily on the NFC North, with the Vikings, Bears and even Packers having large followings, along with the Chiefs. There may have been a time when the St. Louis Rams were popular, during the Kurt Warner era. Warner famously was a star for the city's Arena Football franchise the Iowa Barnstormers, and worked at a local Hy-Vee grocery store before he became an unexpected star NFL QB.
As for college sports, it's either Iowa State (Cyclones - Big 12) in nearby Ames, or University of Iowa (Hawkeyes - Big Ten) in Iowa City to the east.
In other words, it's a pretty big challenge for a Des Moines sports station to cover everything. Lots of distant teams, and allegiances are all over the place. I'm actually surprised KXNO has been as successful as it has been.
I live in the DSM metro and haven't listened to iHeart since Max & Amy detailed why they were let go from WHO radio. Emery Songer is out at aforementioned WHO
radioinsight.com
iHeartMedia Layoffs Continue Today
iHeartMedia initiated a programming realignment today as it intends to scale its "new tech capabilities over the last several years".
radioinsight.com
Do we frequent the same discussion boards? Are you someone named...Ankeny Husker Freak?I live in the DSM metro and haven't listened to iHeart since Max & Amy detailed why they were let go from WHO radio. Emery Songer is out at aforementioned WHO
iHeartMedia Layoffs Continue Today
iHeartMedia initiated a programming realignment today as it intends to scale its "new tech capabilities over the last several years".
I remember the Royals having a decent sized following in Des Moines, too, though they were bigger to the west and south. Almost seems like 940 might've been a Royals affiliate in the 90's during its attempt at talk radio, though you could definitely find a Royals affiliate while driving around if Des Moines lacked an affiliate of its own. I don't remember the Cardinals being all that popular there, though the Cards have built a huge radio network. Seems like I heard it was the largest in the country at one point in time. The list I saw at their website no longer shows any affiliate in the Des Moines area. (Cardinals Radio Affiliates | St. Louis Cardinals)
Most everybody I knew from the Des Moines area was either Chiefs or Vikings, though that's not a scientific sample. I had a friend from central Iowa who was a huge Vikings fan, and she said, knowing I was from Texas and Oklahoma, that I was never to wear Dallas Cowboys gear around her family because they still hadn't forgiven them for the Herschel Walker trade.
Not knowing anything about the Des Moines market, but looking at some numbers - would it be an idea for the dismissed people to move across town to KRNT and spice up the ESPN broadcast day? Saga Communication has a higher stock price, but their profitability and cash seem on par with I-Heart. On the other hand a 6+ rating difference of 2.3 versus .7 might be something that could be improved? Or are the advertising rates not there no matter what is done?