Lamont Hollywood, co-host of the popular Bay Area radio show “Lamont and Tonelli,” has ended his career at 107.7 “The Bone” after 37 years, blaming corporate restructuring and severe cutbacks at parent company Cumulus.
In a Facebook statement, Hollywood said the time had come to step away from the microphone. “Due to corporate restructuring and severe cutbacks at Cumulus, my chapter on these airwaves is coming to an end,” he wrote. He described the layoffs as a “tragic consequence of debt-fueled media consolidation.”
“The Bone” is the latest Cumulus-owned station affected by layoffs in the past week. Hosts at Atlanta’s “99X” and Kansas City’s “Power 105.1” were also let go on Monday.In Washington, D.C., Andy Pollin, host of “630 The Sports Capital,” announced his own layoff on Twitter on Tuesday.
“As I often say, ‘in this business, you don’t retire, they retire you,’” Pollin wrote. “Cumulus just did that to me. I’m open to opportunities, but sadly that’s unlikely at my stage of the game. I’m thankful for the last 7 years at 630 and look forward to what’s next.”
Cumulus filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and again in March in Texas as part of a restructuring aimed at eliminating a large portion of its $697 million debt, according to Reuters.
Despite the forced exit, Hollywood struck an optimistic note. “Corporate suits control the tower and the license, but they don’t own my voice, my character, or the unbreakable relationship I’ve built with you,” he said. “The audience follows the talent, not the signal frequency.”