Twin Cities Radio: OM Andy Bloom OUT At WCCO

Andy Bloom

Andy Bloom, chief of operations for Newsradio WCCO 830 AM, is out.

Jay Dailey, general sales manager for the station’s parent company, said Bloom’s employment ended Tuesday, but he declined to provide details.

According to twincities.com, Bloom issused  short statement: “WCCO is a legendary station. I wish them luck.”  Bloom, who also had been running the music stations KZJK 104.1 JackFM and Country KMNB 102.9 FM Buz’n FM, did not comment further.

The move comes as uncertainty continues over the station’s high-profile 9 a.m.-to-noon time slot.

In June, Twin Cities radio mainstay and Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame member John Hines announced he was retiring, and WCCO has been essentially running a stream of substitutes since. Currently, the station’s schedule lists only “WCCO Radio’s Midday show.”

Bloom, a Minnesota native, was hired in April by Entercom, a Pennsylvania-based communications company that assumed control of WCCO Radio in 2017 as part of its national portfolio of stations stretching from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Bloom came under a level of scrutiny by City Pages for some of the auditions he offered for the midday slot. City Pages accused Bloom and WCCO of handing those auditions to "toxic characters," noting in August that hosting opportunities were given to hard-right news voices, Bob Davis and Rob Carson, acccording to bringmethenews.com.