Peter Rosenberg, Ebro Detail Emotions Of Exit From HOT 97

Peter Rosenberg and Ebro Darden are offering a clearer picture of how their long-running tenure at HOT 97 came to an end, with both hosts expressing frustration not over the decision itself, but over how the exit was handled by station ownership.

Speaking candidly on The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show YouTube page, the duo reflected on the conclusion of their 13-year run and the simultaneous end of the show’s syndicated markets. While both acknowledged the realities of working in corporate radio, they described a process that felt abrupt, impersonal and emblematic of an industry slow to evolve.

“The only thing that bugged me is the way it went down was just so classic radio,” Rosenberg said. “I just didn’t expect it at this stage of my career to get the, ‘Hey, this is so-and-so, I’m here with so-and-so from legal.’”

He added that being told, “Peter, today is going to be your last day. You’ve been terminated,” felt especially jarring after nearly two decades tied to the brand. “That wording after nearly 20 joints was crazy,” Rosenberg said, comparing it to being abruptly dismissed after years of loyalty.

Rosenberg also detailed months of uncertainty leading up to the decision, noting he had been working without a contract for an extended period. “I started doing the math,” he said, pointing to stalled negotiations involving himself, and co-host Laura Stylez. With the holidays approaching and a planned three-week break looming, Rosenberg said he worried the silence signaled bigger changes ahead.

Despite his frustration, Rosenberg was deliberate in separating HOT 97’s legacy from its current ownership. “You are never going to hear me talk s**t about HOT 97,” he said. “That place is literally in my DNA. You will only hear me talk s**t about MediaCo, the company that now owns them. HOT 97 for me will always have a positive connotation”

Darden echoed that the possibility of being let go was never an illusion.

“How many times on the air have we talked about, ‘We just guys with jobs,’” he said. “They own these microphones. They own the licenses, and could walk in here tomorrow and decide they want to do something else.”

Still, Darden admitted the emotional toll ran deeper than job loss. “My biggest pain in all of this is the reason I continued to do that job,” he said, citing the show’s commitment to serving New York City through conversations about politics, voting and issues impacting local communities. He also addressed the risk of having political discussions within corporate media.

“Talking about politics and having an opinion… is always risky,” Darden said, adding that hip-hop itself is inherently political. “Being Black and having a good time is political… finding joy is political.”

Reflecting on his role, Darden said his obligation differed from other on-air personalities. Including Funkmaster Flex, who has taken over the morning daypart with the radio station.

“I had an obligation to the audience… and I had an obligation to us as a team,” he said.

Flex has been with the station for more than 30 years. It will be the second change for him this year, after moving up in the lineup to 5-10 PM ET in September. Previously, his program began at 7 PM.

Together, Rosenberg and Darden framed their exit not as a betrayal, but as a missed opportunity for transparency — closing a defining chapter in New York radio with questions that extend far beyond Hot 97 itself. As for their future, while no immediate plans have become official the show will continue to populate content on its YouTube page for the foreseeable future.

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BMM Staff