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iHeartMedia has been making nationwide cuts that had largely not involved news/talk radio personnel. That changed on Friday.
1200 WOAI and nationally syndicated host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo has departed the company. He had been with the station since 2005 and launched nationally in 2014.
“It’s been an amazing run,” Pagliarulo said in a video posted to social media. “I want to thank the city of San Antonio and the amazing listeners for all your support.”
His show will continue in national syndication with Compass Media Networks, which he called “the start of a new era” for The Joe Pags Show.
710 WOR morning hosts Len Berman and Michael Riedel have departed the daypart at the New York news/talk station. Berman joined the station in 2015 before being paired with Riedel, who was added in 2018. Berman was a longtime fixture in New York television as a sports anchor at WNBC. Riedel, meanwhile, previously hosted a weekly show at AM 970 The Answer for Salem Media Group amid a longtime career as a Broadway critic and columnist for the New York Post. Additionally, Terry Trahim, a morning news editor and producer for the station, has also departed.
NewsRadio WFLA Orlando co-host and morning news anchor Alan Spector has departed. He spent more than a decade with iHeartMedia.
Several sources indicated to Barrett Media that WSPD Program Director Scott Sands has exited the Toledo news/talk outlet. He had been with the station for the past 11 years since joining as the Program Director in 2013. He served as the Senior Vice President of Programming for the Ohio and West Virginia region at iHeartMedia.
600 KCOL morning host Jimmy Lakey and producer Mark Lillie have exited the Fort Collins station. Lakey had been with the station for a decade after previous stops included stations like WBT in Charlotte, KVOR in Colorado Springs, KLIF in Dallas, KNUS in Denver, and KXNT in Las Vegas, among others. Lillie had been with the station for just over two years.
In Des Moines, 1040 WHO morning show producer and co-host Margaret Kispert has departed the station.
Justin Miller has departed KASI in Ames, Iowa. Miller served as the sports director of KASI and also worked at sister-station KXnO in Des Moines as a producer and play-by-play announcer for local sports.
The cuts at iHeartMedia news/talk stations come after the conclusion of the 2024 election cycle earlier this week.
As we learn of any other iHeartMedia layoffs in sports, we will add more to this story. If you have been laid off and want the industry to be aware of your availability, please email garrett@barrettmedia.com.
