Philadelphia-based Audacy announced a round of layoffs affecting nearly 100 employees, with significant impacts on WBBM in Chicago and 1080 WTIC AM in Hartford. The cuts come as Audacy aims to position itself for long-term growth amidst emerging from a pre-packaged bankruptcy filing earlier this year.
In Chicago, the departure of afternoon news anchor Keith Johnson from WBBM has left a void in the station’s lineup. Johnson, who co-anchored alongside Lisa Fielding from 2-7 PM, was a familiar voice on the venerable news outlet, providing listeners with timely updates and analysis.
Furthermore, the digital news team at WBBM saw a significant reduction, with five out of eight positions being eliminated. AnnMarie Welser, a Social Media and Community Editor at the station, confirmed her departure, highlighting the human toll of these organizational changes.
Similarly, in Hartford, 1080 WTIC bid farewell to news anchors Kevin Gorden and Greg Little, according to reports from The Laurel. Their departures mark a significant shakeup for the station, impacting its news delivery and programming.
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The layoffs at Audacy come amidst the company’s efforts to emerge from a pre-packaged bankruptcy filing earlier this year. Despite performing well against its 2024 business plan and positioning itself for future success, Audacy deemed these layoffs necessary to streamline operations and ensure long-term growth.
A spokesperson for Audacy stated, “As we continue to make large investments and drive enhancements across our business, we are simultaneously implementing some difficult but necessary decisions that will impact less than 2% of our workforce to best position our company for long-term growth.”
While Audacy remains optimistic about its future prospects as a differentiated and scaled industry leader, the layoffs underscore the challenges faced by media companies amid evolving market dynamics and shifting consumer preferences.
