Lisa Kaye is out at Radio Mankato. After nearly three decades, the veteran broadcaster was let go in a cost-cutting move.
What We Know — Kaye hosted mornings on Country “Minnesota 100″ KXAC and led “Lisa Kaye and Crew.” She also hosted “Talk of the Town” on News/Talk 1420 KTOE and tracked mornings on Classic Country “105.9 Northstar Country” KULM in Winthrop/New Ulm, MN. Her exit ends a 29-year run at the company.
What They Said — Kaye told the Mankato Free Press she was called into an office and handed paperwork. Management made clear it was not a performance issue. “It was strictly a financial decision,” she said. She later shared her termination letter publicly on Facebook.
What Remains Unclear — It is not yet known whether Radio Mankato plans to fill her roles or consolidate them. No word on whether any other staff were affected in the same round of cuts. Additionally, Kaye has not announced her next move.
What It Means — This exit barely registers as a blip compared to the bloodbath iHeartMedia unleashed this week. But that’s precisely why it matters. Radio isn’t just cutting at the top — it’s hollowing out locally too. The industry is in full retraction mode, struggling to redefine how the medium gets sold and creates currency in an open marketplace. Until that equation gets solved, loyal veterans will keep getting handed pieces of paper/
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David Hill serves as a Music Radio Editor, Columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. A radio lifer with more than 30 years behind the mic, in the control room, and in the program director’s chair, David’s career spans influential stops at brands such as WIYY 98 Rock, WBAL-AM, and 99X. He has worked across multiple formats and ownership groups, including iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, developing talent, breaking music, and navigating every major industry shift from diary to PPM and terrestrial dominance to streaming disruption. When he’s not writing or analyzing the industry, Dave runs The Tune Farm, a marketing firm built to help artists and brands grow audience the same way great radio always has—by creating connection, not just impressions. He can be reached at David@BarrettMedia.com.
