Cumulus CEO: "None of you deserves this"

Cumulus Media has joined a number of other radio groups instituting firings, furloughs and pay cuts because of the financial impact of a fall-off in advertising because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yesterday, CEO Mary Berner broke the People Cumulus plan during a employee video.  The latest employee plan follows other layoffs that occurred in January 2020.

Under the Cumulus plan over 80% of salaried employees will be taking 3 individual weeks of furlough (no pay, no work). Bener stated the three weeks will be taken in one week installments over a 15-week period beginning April 20th.

Cumulus CEO Mary Berner

Also impacted is a number of people in positions which can’t be covered by others during their absence. Those covered depends on for financial controls or those who don’t have someone above them or in their department who can cover for them. The people in this group will be asked to take a 90 day pay cut effective April 16th while they remain in their jobs and work them for those 90 days.

Another group would be employees whose job functions or responsibilities have been greatly reduced or eliminated entirely as a result of the COVID 19 impact. These employees will be put on a straight 90 day furlough effective April 16.

Berner did not say how many Cumulus employees will be put out on a 90-day furlough. She did say the company has “every intention” of bringing them back when normal business operations resume, reports RadioInk.

“Even though these are intended to be temporary actions, I know they are going to land hard, really hard and that is in the emotional and financial toll that a furlough or salary cut will take on each of you, but also in terms of the increased workload the vast majority of you will have to take on during your co-workers furlough weeks. I am truly sorry and sad about this announcement. None of you deserves this.”

Cumulus Media of Atlanta is the third largest radio chain in the United States with more than 400 stations in nearly 90 markets.