During a video call Thursday afternoon, Cumulus CEO Mary Berner informed Cumulus employees that 3% of the Cumulus workforce is being eliminated and the Westwood One News Network will be shuttered.
The Westwood One website states that their news product is heard on over 900 affiliates so that’s going to leave stations all over the country scrambling for a replacement product. Berner said the network will be close shop at the end of August.
The Westwood One website lists 5 reporters: Steve Kastenbaum, Bob Costantini, Jim Roope, Clayton Neville and Linda Kenyon. There are also 8 anchors: Ann Cates, Christopher Cruise, Elliott Francis, Evan Haning, Barbara Kusak, Mike Moss, Michael Toscano and John Trout. All of those people will lose their network jobs, although some of them were also employed at local stations. It’s not clear yet if they will be keeping those jobs.
There was some good news from Berner on the call. All furloughs and pay cuts that were put in place to deal with the COVID-19 crisis will end on July 31st.
Hi Folks! Old vet broadcaster, mostly radio. Sound like a great site to hold my interest. What station(s) does Cumulus own here in Minneapolis/Saint Paul? I can’t recall. Is KQRS one of them? Gadzooks! A radio network with NO NEWS! Alas, I noticed that ABC has dropped their really great news sounder. OMG.
Westwood One never owned Total Traffic. The company did own Metro Networks (including Shadow Broadcast Services), but sold it to Clear Channel (what’s now iHeart) almost a decade ago; it was then merged into CC’s already-owned Total Traffic.
Wondering how this will affect the WW1’s Total Traffic & News affiliates in local markets…?