Audacy, the radio broadcast and podcasting company that emerged from bankruptcy last fall, has made a large round of jobs cuts. The layoffs, which started Thursday, affect about 200 employees, according to a source familiar with the situation.
An Audacy rep said in a statement to Variety, “Audacy has made workforce reductions to ensure a strong and resilient future for the business. We are streamlining resources to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to best position Audacy to continue serving listeners and advertisers with excellence.” The spokesperson declined to confirm how many employees were let go.
According to posts on social media, Audacy employees that were cut include KQRC morning show host Johnny Dare in Kansas City; KZPT “The Point” hosts Brian “Ponch” Hudgens and Nikki Vivas, also in Kansas City; 1010 WINS sports director and morning anchor Marc Ernay in New York; KNX News’ Alex Silverman and Charles Feldman in L.A.; KEYN’s J.R. Cruz in Wichita, Kansas; and Adam Spolane, at Houston’s Sportsradio 610. A report by Barrett Media has details on others laid off from Audacy.
Audacy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year, in a bid to slash its debt load. The one-time publicly traded company emerged from bankruptcy in September 2024 under a new ownership group led by controlling shareholder Soros Fund Management. Audacy is searching for a new CEO after former chief David Field stepped down in January, with board member Kelli Turner appointed interim CEO.
Audacy, formerly known as Entercom Communications, operates more than 230 broadcast radio stations across 47 U.S. markets, as well as podcast studio Pineapple Street Studios and Podcorn, a podcast hosting and ad platform. The company is the second-largest radio station group after iHeartMedia. In 2017, Entercom acquired the 240-station CBS Radio group, which included the Radio.com digital audio platform (shut down in 2021).
