iHeartMedia RIFs Hit U-S Markets

iHeart Media’s latest workforce reduction has hit markets across the U-S including Philadelphia, where one of its most senior local executives and two disc jockeys were among those laid off.

The Philly Business Journal reports the layoffs include Brian Check, most recently vice president of programming for iHeart’s six-station Philadelphia cluster, who had been with the company and predecessor Clear Channel in Philadelphia since 2002. Veteran on-air host Dan Blackman, who worked the afternoon shift on adult contemporary station WISX The Breeze 106.1 FM, and Eliot King, a host on Top 40 station WIOQ Q102 FM, were also laid off, the company confirmed.

“We periodically review our operations and programming and occasionally this means that we need to make some changes,” iHeart spokeswoman Lorraine Merrill said via email. “I can confirm they are no longer with iHeart Philly.”

Even before Covid-19 took a big bite out of advertising and events revenue, San Antonio-based iHeart Media had been dealing with financial issues. The nation’s largest radio station operator filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2018. In January, iHeart announced budget cuts that involved replacing hundreds of jobs performed by employees with artificial intelligence. CEO Bob Pittman also relinquished his $23 million salary while other execs accepted pay reductions. The company suffered a $1.68 million net loss during the first quarter – which was largely free of Covid-19’s impact.

When the pandemic hit, iHeart revealed that it planned to trim $250 million in costs this year. It told employees in late April that if they had not agreed already to take a 5% pay cut, they would be forced to take two weeks of unpaid leave.

iHM swung to a $159 million second-quarter operating loss from a $182 million operating income in the same period of 2019, and revenue declined by 47%. The company reports third-quarter earnings on Nov. 9.

In addition to WIOQ and WISX, iHeart operates four other terrestrial radio stations in Philadelphia: Urban adult contemporary station 105.3 (WDAS-FM), which was the region’s top-rated station in the October book; hip-hop and R&B station Power 99 FM (WUSL-FM); modern rock station Radio 104.5 FM (WRFF-FM); and The Gambler, a sports talk station the company launched last year. In August, iHeart leased 610 ESPN (WTEL-AM) from Florida-based Beasley Media Group and flipped the format to its Black Information Network.

iHM’s chief rivals Beasley and Philadelphia-based Entercom Communications Corp. also imposed austerity measures such as layoffs when the pandemic’s impact was first felt in the spring.

Many program director are among those now MIA:

• Brian Check, an 18-year Philadelphia veteran who served as PD of WISX-FM “106.1 The Breeze” in Philadelphia.
• Trevor Morini, SVP/Programming and PD of WDCG-FM “G105” in Raleigh-Durham.
• Matt Johnson, PD of KSLZ-FM in St. Louis. Asst. PD/MD and morning host Jordan DiSocio has also departed the Top 40 station.
• Michael Rivera, KBQI-FM in Albuquerque and KHEY-FM in El Paso.
• Mike “McCabe” Kerr, WZFT-FM in Baltimore. He had been with the Top 40 station since January and also hosted afternoons.
• Mike McKay, WQRB-FM in Eau Claire, Wisc. He had been with the station since its 1991 launch and hosted mornings, while also hosting afternoons at WATQ-FM.
• Jimmy Elliott, VP/Programming and PD/morning host for WOVK-FM in Wheeling, W. Va. He was a 27-year veteran of the Country station.

Meanwhile,  longtime veteran Columbus morning host Joel Riley is out at iHeartMedia's Talk WTVN 610 AM after 26 years. A longtime fixture in Columbus' morning radio news, Riley, told Columbus Business First he was called in after his show ended Monday morning and was "fired." Brandon Boxer will replace Riley, moving up from afternoons on co-owned Country WCOL-FM. He'll continue hosting PM drive on WCOL.

Per Radio Insight, other personalities on iHeartMedia stations in Wheeling, St. Louis, Toledo, Raleigh, Philadelphia, Nashville, and elsewhere have also been laid off. More than a few local fans are voicing their opposition to the cuts on social media, and the potential impact on listenership and ratings is worth following moving forward.