MIAMI — Tune to 99.1 MHz in morning drive, and you’ll suddenly find yourself asking if something isn’t right. Just weeks ago, a big billboard could be seen on Interstate 95 heading downtown promoting the Trina & Trick Daddy morning program.
As of today, the hosts are no longer a part of Cox Media Group. But, that’s just a small part of a Reduction in Force initiative that has claimed a host of programming and on-air positions. Meanwhile, another Miami FM owned by CMG has tweaked its format while apparently dismissing its entire air staff.
News of the job losses came concurrent to news reported by RBR+TVBR earlier this week that Apollo Global Management, the controlling party in Cox Media Group, has teamed with Soohyung Kim-led Standard General in making a bid under consideration for TEGNA, the TV station owner.
With Standard General already in control of WQHT “Hot 97” and WBLS in New York through a partnership with Emmis Communications founder Jeff Smulyan, there’s already discussion of what a combined CMG/TEGNA could do.
Less employees at the CMG radio stations likely wasn’t anticipated to be tied to that discussion.
Yet, Trina & Trick Daddy aren’t the only Miami hosts out at CMG’s Hollywood, Fla., studios once home to WHYI (Y-100) under Metroplex ownership. At Noon Friday (9/24), after stunting with songs promoting “rhythm,” WFLC-FM “Hits 97.3” in Miami tweaked its format, stopping short of a wholesale rebranding effort. Instead, the station dropped all live air personalities and went with a 50,000-song music marathon as a Rhythmic Hot Adult Contemporary FM. It is modeled in many ways after the former “93-9 MIA,” now a 90s-focused FM owned by iHeartMedia.
And, the new sound of Hits 97.3 will not include Jill Strada. She is no longer Director of Operations for WFLC. According to multiple sources, local job losses include morning co-hosts Kimmy B. and Al P.
In a press release announcing the format adjustment for WFLC, station VP/Programming Steve Smith said, “We are tackling this re-launch with a talented on-air team and a unique mix of music that screams Miami!”
The publication also shares that at CMG’s longtime Top 40 WBLI-FM in Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y., Program Director Jeremy Rice has exited, ending a long tenure at the company. Morning co-host “MJ,” a.k.a. Dana Parisi, is also gone from ‘BLI.
In Texas, Randy Bonillas is no longer Asst. PD/MD/afternoon host at KISS-FM 99.5 in San Antonio, CMG’s Rock station. Over in Houston, 50-year local air talent Dan Gallo and co-host Chuck Akers are no longer in wakeups at KTHT-FM “Country Legends 97.1.”
In response to a request for comment on the Reduction in Force initiative, a CMG spokesperson replied, “We don’t comment on internal, company matters.”
