CT Radio: Lay-Offs Reach Hall Communications

Hall Communications, which owns a half-dozen radio stations in eastern Connecticut, laid off four of its employees this week due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on advertising revenue, the stations’ general manager said Thursday.

The Day reports WICH 1310 AM news reporters Kevin Gorden and Bernie Loubier and on-air personality Glenn O’Brien were let go, as was WCTY 97.9 FM host Josh Matty, said the general manager, Andy Russell.

Gorden and Matty were full-timers, O’Brien and Loubier part-timers.

“It’s unfortunate. These are all good people,” Russell said. “It’s 100% COVID-related. Obviously, when businesses aren’t operating, there’s no reason for them to advertise. We just couldn’t sustain it any longer.”

Gorden, 60, who had been with the station for nearly 36 years, said he got the news Wednesday after finishing his 5 p.m. newscast.

“Basically, it was the downturn in the economy. That was the only reason,” he said of his being laid off.

He said he hoped to find another job in communications, “tapping into whatever connections I’ve got. It’s a tough business. It’s tough in journalism right now.”

Hall Communications owns WICH and WCTY in Norwich, WNLC and WKNL in New London and WILI and WILI-FM in Willimantic. The company also owns radio stations in Providence; Burlington, Vt.; Lancaster, Pa., and Lakeland, Fla.