A collection of 11 radio stations spread across the Delmarva Peninsula has a new leader, taking an expanded role at the iHeartMedia properties. At the same time, social media posts confirm that the entire news department for its News/Talk radio station serving Southern California, which last week saw the resignation of its longtime Program Director, has been dismantled as part of widespread job cuts.
In Wilmington, Del., Katie Ewell is now Market President, adding to her current duties in the Salisbury-Ocean City, Md., Market President. These stations reach southern Delaware and popular Washington, D.C. getaways including Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach.
With her promotion, Ewell will oversee sales, programing, promotions and operations for the 11 stations, focusing on strategic initiatives and driving growth.
“Ewell will bring this proven leadership to her expanded role incorporating best practices across both markets,” iHeartMedia said. She reports to Brit Goldstein, President for the iHeartMedia Mid-Atlantic Area. “Katie has done incredible work in Salisbury, consistently demonstrating exceptional leadership and creativity,” Goldstein said. “By adding the Wilmington market to her purview, she will bring her outstanding approach to partnership and innovative solutions to the entire Delmarva Peninsula. I’m excited to see Katie and the team flourish in her expanded leadership role.”
Before shifting to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Ewell was Vice President of Sales for the station group. Ewell’s career began at MediaOnePA, part of the USA Today Network.
The iHeartMedia stations Ewell will oversee are WDSD-FM, WRDX-FM, WILM-AM, WDOV-AM, WWTX-AM, WWFG-FM, WQHQ-FM, WSBY-FM, WKZP-FM, WJDY-AM and WTGM-AM.
KFI LOSES NEWS DEPARTMENT
With iHeartMedia making a flurry of appointments as part of a widespread employee restructuring initiative, the company is also gaining attention for its decision to dismantle a 22-person news team associated with longtime Los Angeles spoken word leader KFI-AM 640.
According to News Director Chris Little, who shared the news via his Instagram social media feed, “seventeen news people” were let go by iHeartMedia from KFI, which competes for listeners seeking news, information and insight with Audacy Inc.’s KNX and two NPR Member stations. Little is included in those impacted by the reduction-in-force initiative; he had been associated with KFI for 33 years and rose to News Director in 2000.
Kris Adler also commented on the elimination of the KFI news department on Instagram.
“It’s with such a heavy heart that I share with you that many of us — your trusted AM 640 voices — had our last day at KFI today,” she posted on Monday, noting that an on-air announcement was made to alert listeners. “Our editors, producers, board-ops, and show hosts have worked so hard, some have put in decades of work, to bring you the news every day. Chris Little and Robin Bertolucci prided themselves on the fact that we had high standards and that we were different.”
Bertolucci resigned as KFI’s Program Director last week, ahead of the Monday job losses.
Adler continued, “To our devoted listeners: please know that we never could have been what we were without you. I am so honored to have been part of this team knowing the dedication to the station we had from our fans. Thank you to all who shared their stories with me and trusted me to be the voice they needed. News is changing — but what never changes, is a reporter’s desire for truth.”
— With reporting from RBR+TVBR in Santa Clarita, Calif.
