Philly Radio: WPEN-FM Loses Two On-Air Personalities

Beasley Broadcast Group laid off 7% of its workforce this week, including two on-air personalities at Philadelphia sports talk radio station 97.5 The Fanatic (WPEN-FM).

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Jennifer Scordo, a producer and on-air contributor to the Fanatic's afternoon drive show, and nighttime host Pat Egan are among several employees at local Beasley-owned stations impacted by the cuts. Sources said others caught up in the layoffs include two longtime producers and other behind-the-scenes staffers.

In addition, two veteran producers announced their retirements: 93.3 WMMR-FM creative director Kevin Gunn, who had been with the rock station since 1981, and Rhonda Hibbler, the Fanatic’s production director who was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcasters Pioneers Hall of Fame last year.

Scordo has had an on-air producer role at the Fanatic during afternoon drive for three years, first succeeding Natalie Egenolf in that position with host Mike Missanelli and then continuing after Missanelli’s 2022 departure as part of what the station dubbed "The Greatest Show Ever?" with co-hosts Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico and Hunter Brody. She could be seen weekdays on a simulcast of the program that airs on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Prior to joining The Fanatic, Scordo spent six years working on air for two other local Beasley stations — country station 92.5 WXTU-FM and classic rock station 102.9 WMGK-FM.

Beasley Broadcast Group did not provide information on which employees, or how many, were impacted at its six Philadelphia radio stations. In a statement provided Wednesday, a company spokeswoman confirmed the 7% layoffs and said the cuts were made with the goal of “realigning our core business operations to reflect the current economic conditions in order to best serve the needs of our valued audiences, advertisers, and shareholders into the future.”

Fort Myers, Florida-based Beasley had about 1,100 employees as of last year, which would put the total number of layoffs across the company at roughly 80.

The company had a previous round of layoffs last July that included Scordo's former afternoon drive co-host Brody, a well as Fanatic operations manager Eric Camille and several members of the company's advertising team. In October 2022, Beasley instituted an unspecified number of layoffs that impacted the Fanatic’s morning show co-host Jamie Lynch, WMMR afternoon drive disc jockey Paul Jaxon and country music station WXTU midday disc jockey Charlie Maxx.

The latest Beasley layoffs come a week after competitor Audacy announced that it had done the same with 2% of its workforce, including five employees from Philadelphia's KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM/1060 AM).

The radio industry has been hit hard by a reduction in advertising revenue post-pandemic and a bumpy transition to podcasting and other digital revenue sources.