Clear Channel cuts 22 local staffers

By Robert Riggsbee

This column was provided exclusively to the Courier by Riggsbee, president of Cincinnati-based Inside Media.

Clear Channel’s ongoing restructuring efforts finally hit the Cincinnati cluster hard when approximately 22 people were pink slipped this past Wednesday at 4:30PM.

The staff affected included eight on-air personalities, including Greg Waddell and Jeff Peicoro, who worked for WKCY-AM 1530, also known as “Homer, the Sports Animal.” The list also included show hosts Storm Bennett, who worked at “Kiss FM,” (WKFS-FM 107.1) Wendy Walker at WEBN-FM 102.7 and Madison at WVMX-FM 94.1, or “Mix.”

Clear Channel will consolidate the jobs that were recently lost by voice tracking, which involves the use of pre-recorded commentary between song breaks, or assigning remaining employees double duty. Several other FM staffers, including promotions-department employees and board operators were also laid off.

The cuts were expected following the Nov. 17 announcement that two private equity firms had agreed to purchase Clear Channel (NYSE: CCU) for an estimated $26.7 billion. With the pending sale, Clear Channel is opting to prop up shorter term profits by dramatically cutting costs in order to satisfy the stockholders. The radio economy has been soft this year, and this plan will help Clear Channel lessen the blow.

Even though 22 jobs were just eliminated, Clear Channel just recently mandated that another 21 radio sellers be added before the end of the year.

These truly are historic times. Never has the local radio industry ever seen as many changes as have taken place in the last few months. It started with three Clear Channel managers going to Radio One, and was followed up with Entercom firing with the entire on-air staff at WAQZ.

There has been more radio employees displaced, terminated or simply opting out of the business in the last 120 days than that of the past 10 years combined.