The aftermath part 2
Like many small, private schools, our institution is dealing with declining enrollment due to an ever declining pool of high school graduates (it's known as the "2025 enrollment cliff"). Consequently, those of us who still have a job teaching sometimes ask each other if our torches are still lit, à la the tv show Survivor. I have to wonder if the last few days there's been concerns about whose torches are still lit in local radio.
Which brings us to the latest update about iHeart's latest round of layoffs. Contrary to earlier reports, the entire 25 member KFI newsroom was not shut down, but it still experienced a significant loss. Now the former KFI News Director, Chris Little provided an update on his Instagram page:
Still keeping their regular shifts are the daily news anchors associated with the station's talk programs. Amy King continues mornings with Bill Handel, Debra Mark middays with John Kobylt, Michael Crozier afternoons with Tim Conway Jr., and Mark Rahner sharing evenings with Mo'Kelly.
Amy King, Debra Mark
Michael Crozier, Mark Rahner
Michael Monks, Karla Marquez
We've also confirmed Michael Monks will continue as anchor / reporter and Karla Marquez will keep working as a news editor.
We continue to profile those who have been laid off by iHeart:
Laila Muhammad is another TV host who periodically anchored the news on radio. She's seen regularly on KNBC-TV's California Live. She possesses a Masters of Science from the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University. Muhammad is also an Adjuct Professor at USC and Loyola Marymount University. She arrived in Southern California after hosting the CW syndicated Morning Dose originating from KDAF-Dallas. Additionally, Muhammed serves as a media coach, emcee, red carpet interviewer, and public speaker. She is on the board of the National Association of Black Journalists, and a board member of the Blind Dance Company.
Blake Troli had been with KFI since 2022. Born in Claremont, he worked in Rapid City, SD, Fresno, and Portland, OR before returning to Southern California. He most recently reported from the Mountain Fire currently blazing in Ventura County. Troli is known for his investigative reporting, including a 2022 two-part documentary podcast entitled "The Desert is Blooming," about the illegal marijuana market in California and why it still exists in a state that legalized pot. He also appeared regularly on the station's different talk shows to discuss smash-and-grab robberies, pro-Palestinian protests on local college campuses, and the troubles with crime on LA Metro buses.
Andrew Caravella was born in Los Angeles and raised in Apple Valley. He hods a Bachelor's of Science degree in Digital Audiences from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Caravella started as a recording artist and actor besides moving onto radio, TV, and voiceovers. He worked in the Inland Empire and also the Black News Channel before arriving at KFI as a reporter. He is also the Media Relations Coordinator at Victor Valley College, coordinating the school's marketing and public relations programs designed to attract students and generate communit support.
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There are others who will announce their departures from the local iHeart stations in the next few days, however we are not aware of any new layoffs since Monday. We should also note -- if we haven't already -- similar to their programming strategy, iHeart is planning to consolidate their sales departments. Specifically, the local sales department has also been significantly downsized, with iHeart shifting their efforts to regional and national sales staffs to serve clients locally and nationally.
Also, the local changes associated with the iHeart layoffs have been planned months previously. For some reason, there is a rumor about the layoffs being associated with KFI's recently declining ratings. Although the demographics continue to skew toward an older audience (which may reflect the radio audience in general), KFI's numbers have remained remarkably steady. The cutbacks are based on a slower than expected post-pandemic recovery for radio as a whole, plus an ongoing debt of over $5 billion (by comparison, Audacy's debt is $350 million after bankruptcy and restructuring). Additionally, the long-term strategy is to use their technology and other tools to run their stations as economically as possible. More on this in the ensuing days and weeks to come, please stay tuned.
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