Clear Channel lays off 19
BY JOHN KIESEWETTER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Longtime WEBN-FM midday DJ Wendy Walker and WCKY-AM sports talk host Jeff Piecoro were among 19 employees fired Wednesday in a downsizing similar to other Clear Channel markets.
"It was a blood-gushing," said Greg Waddell, a sports reporter and producer for WCKY-AM (1530) and WLW-AM (700). He was terminated in a late Wednesday afternoon phone call.
The cutbacks are part of a massive restructuring by Clear Channel, the world's largest radio station owner, which is being sold for $18.7 billion to private investors. Staff reductions have been made at stations from New York and San Francisco to Lexington.
Also losing their jobs here were Mike Stevens and Madison from WVMX-FM (MIX94.1); Storm Bennett from WKFS-FM (KISS107.1); Richard "Scoop" Cowell, a WEBN-FM (102.7) morning "Dawn Patrol" sidekick; promotion employees; and station board operators.
General Manager Karrie Sudbrack and other Clear Channel managers in the Kenwood office could not be reached for comment, despite numerous attempts. The employees were told at a 4:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday that their jobs had been eliminated.
"We knew this was coming. Rumors were all over the hallways," said Waddell, of Monroe, a four-year employee and a 20-year radio veteran.
"I don't blame the people (bosses) here. It's not their fault. This is a call made by the home office in San Antonio," said Piecoro of Crescent Springs.
Piecoro was a utility player for the company. In addition to his 10 a.m.-noon weekday show, he hosted Bengals post-game call-in shows on WLW-AM and WCKY-AM, and weekly University of Cincinnati coaches' call-in shows.
Piecoro also does University of Cincinnati basketball broadcasts for WXIX-TV (Channel 19), radio commentary for University of Kentucky football, and Reds TV work for Fox Sports Net Ohio.
Bennett also said he has other options to fall back on. He owns Quality Sounds DJs and Killer Creative Media.
Walker, who could not be reached for comment, had joined WEBN-FM in 1995 as a part-time promotions employee. Later that year she became a DJ on the station she had listened to since attending Miamitown Elementary School, where she formed a WEBN club.
"Scoop" Cowell had been part of 'EBN mornings for only seven months. "I love Cincinnati. I'll hate to leave," he said.
E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com
Clear Channel lays off 19
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Re: Clear Channel lays off 19
damn, not even the courtesy of a one on one. pardon me, but FUCK THAT!CH107WITO wrote:The employees were told at a 4:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday that their jobs had been eliminated.
I'm not an idiot, but I play one on the radio.
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Easier to watch them clean out their desks and escort them out the door at quitting time like a herd of sheep. Locksmiths were waiting to change the front door locks, I bet. Since they didn't tell them till 4:30 they got almost a full day of work from them. Nobody had to know except the manager, who called the lock guy and some security people, and maybe the business manager who prepared the proper documents and cut the final checks.
Merry Christmas from Clear Channel.
Merry Christmas from Clear Channel.
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