SummitMedia has kicked off 2022 with a round of layoffs mostly in Honolulu.
The cuts in Honolulu start with Market President Andrew Rosen. Rosen has led the Honolulu cluster since 2015 after previously serving as General Manager of Connoisseur Media Trenton NJ, GM of Radio One Philadelphia, Senior VP of Cumulus Media, Regional VP for Clear Channel New York, and VP/Strategic Sales for Targetspot.
Operations Manager Wayne Maria departs after 28 years in the cluster. Maria programmed AC “Krater 96” KRTR, Rhythmic CHR “Power 104.3” KPHW, and Hawaiian combo of “FM 100” KCCN-FM and “Hawaiian 105” KINE as well as co-hosting mornings and hosting middays at KRTR.
Three stations completely lost their morning shows. Along with Maria, Gregg and Shawnee Hammer depart the “Hammertime” morning show at KRTR.
Candace Kay exits as morning co-host and midday host at “Power 104.3“. Dex Mitchell departs the morning show at KPHW, but remains with the company based in Greenville SC, where he hosts the “Dex and Barbie T” morning show at “Hot 98.1” WHZT Greenville and “Hot 104.5” WKHT Knoxville TN.
“Da Kolohe Krew” is no more at KINE as Shannon Scott departs his second stint with the cluster. Scott served as Promotions Director and afternoon host at KCCN from 1994 to 2014. He would return to the cluster in 2016 to co-host a Saturday morning show with Mele Apana with the pair then moved to mornings in January 2017. Apana resigned from the station at the end of 2021.
Also departing SummitMedia is Adult R&B “98.7 Kiss-FM” WBHK Birmingham AL midday host Ebony Arrington Steele. Steele previously served as a co-host of the syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show from 2007-2014 and “Afternoon Rush” with Doug Banks. She is currently a contributor to TEGNA’s “Daily Blast Live” television show.
‘Regular Laura’ Hardy also departed the company at the end of 2021 for a position in another market yet to be announced. Hardy had been with the Louisville cluster since 2014 and hosted mornings at Classic Rock “107.7 The Eagle” WSFR. She also tracked middays for “Z92” KEZO Omaha and “T95” KICT Wichita as just ‘Hardy’.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com