Portland OR Radio: Country KUPL Cuts Dwyer, Byron

Alpha Media, the owner of Country “98.7 The Bull” KUPL in Portland, Oregon, made significant staff cuts, resulting in the departure of the station’s two remaining local on-air personalities, Danny Dwyer and Jake Byron. 

The move effectively eliminated local talent from the station’s lineup.

Danny Dwyer’s Tenure and Departure: Danny Dwyer had been with KUPL since April 1998, serving in various roles over his 27-year career, including Promotions Director, Music Director (since 2016), and Assistant Program Director (2019–2024). He most recently hosted the 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. slot. Dwyer also worked as a traffic reporter for multiple Portland television stations. His long tenure earned him recognition, including a nomination for Major Market Personality of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards.

Dwyer, Byron

In 2018, he was honored with a platinum plaque for 20 years at KUPL, where he expressed gratitude for his role in community events like Countryfest and the Waking Crew Campout, as well as station accolades like CMA and ACM Station of the Year awards.

Jake Byron was on his second stint with KUPL, having first joined in 2004 and contributed to various morning show iterations from 2014 to 2020. He was let go in April 2020 due to COVID-related cuts but returned in October 2021, hosting afternoons, nights, weekends, and most recently the 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. slot. 

 The station, now relying heavily on syndicated content like B-Dub Radio and The Bobby Bones Show, may face challenges maintaining local listener engagement. These departures mark a significant shift for KUPL, potentially signaling a move toward a leaner, less locally focused operation in a competitive Portland radio market.