UPDATE 11/30/06 4:35 PM – We have learned of more people being let go from Clear Channel’s Columbus cluster. Scroll down for more…
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It had to happen eventually, with Clear Channel cluster after cluster dumping people to save money.
AllAccess reports that the company’s axe has now swung in Cincinnati and Columbus.
In Cincinnati, the trade site reports “at least” 15 people were let go in the downsizing yesterday, including from various stations:
* Hot AC WVMX/94.1 “Mix 94.1” – local morning host/producer for Whoopi Goldberg’s show, Mike Stevens (who used to host the shift live and local until Whoopi showed up), and afternoon host “Madison”.
* Top 40 WKFS/107.1 “Kiss FM” – midday personality Storm Bennett, and promotions assistant/part-time talent Mark Stone.
* Rock WEBN/102.7 – midday personality Wendy Walker, and promotions coordinator Steve Dent.
* And commercial production staffer Shaun Schaefer and engineer Andrew Costa are reported to be out of work as well.
Up I-71 in Columbus, AllAccess also notes that Danny Wright is out of a job at the Clear Channel cluster there, also due to budget considerations.
No, not THAT Danny Wright, the former WGAR/WGCL/etc. personality (and OMW reader) who now hosts the Jones Radio overnight country show “Wright All Night”.
The Columbus Danny was, until now, APD and creative services director at CC’s top 40 powerhouse, WNCI/97.9.
UPDATE: We have some more names out of Columbus thanks to an OMW source there, fine folks who are hitting the unemployment lines at a rather unfortunate time of year:
* News/talk WTVN/610 lost a bunch of people, including evening news anchor Stuart Osborne and news editor George Zonders.
Both names should be familiar to Northern Ohioans. Osborne used to do news anchoring via WAN for CC sister news/talk outlet WSPD/1370 Toledo, and both Zonders and Osborne have been heard doing reports from Columbus for CC sister talker WTAM/1100 in Cleveland.
We’re told that WTVN also let go production director Scott Kahler, and midday producer Lindsay Guhl.
UPDATE 12/2/06 10:09 AM: In the interests of accuracy, one name has been removed from this item for the moment. We’re checking it out.
As per usual, this is a good list for those looking for talented staff who are only out of work because their company is cutting budgets to the bone, in preparation for a buyout.
With all the other recent changes in the Cincinnati market, maybe these folks can land somewhere within new stations run by Entercom and Cumulus…
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