Seattle Radio: Layoffs Hits Non-Com KUOW

Non-Com KUOW 94.9 FM has eliminated seven employees’ positions. The news prompted shock and tears in the newsroom, according to an employee.

According to thestranger.com, the change comes as station leadership restructures KUOW’s morning and afternoon “drive time” shows. It also comes less than two months after the KUOW newsroom elected to unionize, but before employees bargained a new contract agreement with management.

KUOW 94.9 FM (100 kw)

The employees whose positions are being eliminated are: morning host Emily Fox, afternoon host Kim Malcolm, morning newscaster Lisa Brooks, afternoon newscaster Jamala Henderson, morning producer Rob Wood, morning producer Stephen Gomes, and afternoon producer Tami Kosch.

KUOW Chief Content Officer Jennifer Strachan announced the eliminations last week in a staff-wide email. One newsroom employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation said employees were “completely surprised” and “many people left in tears." Management notified the affected employees in person, according to the station's general manager Caryn Mathes.

KUOW is not downsizing, according to Strachan's email. Instead, seven employees will lose their jobs and the station will hire for seven new positions. The new positions will be open starting Thursday and the old jobs will be eliminated in 90 days, according to the email.

The employees whose positions were eliminated will have the chance to apply for the new jobs. However, the new positions will have “substantially different roles and responsibilities than the existing positions,” Strachan wrote.

KUOW’s drive time shows currently have hosts and newscasters, who pull from national and local news to create the shows. The station will now combine the two roles so the show has a "singular voice," Strachan wrote, which is a "common practice at many stations." The shows will also now have reporters, board operators, and senior news producers.