Radio Giant Audacy Lays Off 200 Employees
Written by djfrosty on March 7, 2025
Audacy, the second-biggest broadcast company after iHeartMedia, laid off 200 employees this week, according to a radio business source. “Audacy has made workforce reductions to ensure a strong and resilient future for the business,” added a company spokesperson, who wouldn’t confirm or elaborate on the layoffs. “We are streamlining resources to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to best position Audacy to continue serving listeners and advertisers with excellence.”
Broadcast trade reports say the layoffs are widespread across the company, from on-air personalities to accounting and human resources. One was J.R. Cruz, morning-show host for Wichita, Kan., greatest-hits station 103.7 KEYN, who posted Wednesday (March 6) on Facebook that he and Audacy “parted ways” due to “the medical issues I am dealing with.”
Cruz, who joined the station last August after open-heart surgery and other medical issues, added Thursday: “This radio biz sure does suck at times! My prayers go out to all who got laid off at Audacy!”
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Like iHeart and other top broadcast companies, Audacy has contended with massive debt for years. In January 2024, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, decreasing its debt load by 80%, from $1.9 billion to $350 million. The company, previously known as Entercom, took on $2 billion in debt when it merged with CBS Radio in 2017.
Although Audacy announced at that time that the restructuring would not affect its operations, it reduced its workforce a month later by “less than 2%.”
“It’s like, ‘How many layoffs can they go through before there’s nobody left?” a laid-off employee said at the time.
In January, Audacy president/CEO David Field exited the company, with board member Kelli Turner stepping in as interim president/CEO.