Cumulus Media Cuts Three at WVBO in Appleton

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 3:48pm CT

Jay Philpott

Cumulus Media has parted ways with three staffers at Classic Hits WVBO-FM (103.9) in Appleton-Oshkosh, WI, including Operations Manager and Program Director Jay Philpott (pictured). Philpott tells RADIO ONLINE that he was let go Wednesday (8/12), along with WVBO morning host Steve McGrath and midday personality Max Fredrick. Philpott also hosted afternoons on the station.

Philpott joined the Appleton-Oshkosh cluster in May 2023 as Operations Manager, while taking on programming and afternoon duties at WVBO. The move marked a return to Cumulus, where he previously served as Program Director and afternoon host at WGVX-FM (Love 105) in Minneapolis and was heard on sister KQRS-FM. He was also part of Westwood One's Classic Rock 24/7 format.

Earlier in his career, Philpott hosted afternoons on Cumulus' WNNX (Rock 100.5) in Atlanta and served as Operations Manager for the company's Charleston, SC cluster.

His career also includes on-air positions in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Dallas, Springfield, IL, Baltimore and Tacoma, WA.

The departures come amid Cumulus Media's latest round of company-wide workforce reductions affecting personnel in multiple markets.

Reach out to Philpott here.