Columbia MO Radio: Rose, Gaines Exits Cumulus Media

Simon Rose, David Gaines

Popular KFRU hosts Simon Rose and David Gaines are no longer on the air in Columbia after being laid off in nationwide cutbacks by parent company Cumulus Media.

Rose, host of the midmorning “The Morning Meeting” and a local radio fixture for 37 years, and Gaines, a KFRU presence since 2008 who has hosted the drive-time “A Columbia Morning” since 2022, lost their positions this week. 

Rose, also a founding disc jockey at sister Cumulus station KBXR, said he was let go after his final show Monday.

In an interview, Rose said he was touched by more than 100 responses that arrived within hours of his wife’s Facebook post about the termination Wednesday night. “I got up this morning, and I think there was like over 100 posts, and I’ve been absolutely blown away by that,” he said. 

“I mean, I guess I was a part of their lives, and it just meant so much to me that they tuned in every day and put up with me enough every day to listen to me in the morning and in the afternoon.”

Originally from Manchester, England, Rose was inspired by BBC legends John Peel and Annie Nightingale. While studying communications at the University of Missouri, he discovered KCOU and fell in love with radio. Over the years he interviewed figures including President Jimmy Carter, NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton, Missouri-born musician Sheryl Crow, and numerous governors, senators and other politicians.

Rose said he will miss daily interaction with KFRU colleagues. He has no firm plans beyond continuing color commentary for University of Missouri women’s soccer games on the SEC Network via ESPN+. 

“I’d love to stay in radio in some way, shape or form, but you know the corporate takeover has made a difficult medium,” he said. “Everybody and their dog has a podcast; it could well be that I will join everybody and their dog at some point here.”

Gaines joined KFRU in 2008, co-hosted “A Columbia Morning” with David Lile and took over as sole host after Lile’s 2022 retirement. “As of this week, I’m no longer with Columbia’s heritage radio station KFRU. Corporate downsizing, the elimination of Cumulus Media positions nationwide, hit our market this week,” he wrote on Facebook. “That’s the nature of this business.”

“Despite this setback, I’m writing this with a sense of gratitude. These past 18 years have been such a wonderful stretch of my career,” Gaines added. “I’ve worked with so many talented and creative people. Been a part of countless wonderful events. Interviewed multiple local and state leaders, and interesting guests from all walks of life.”