Entire KFMB-AM & FM/San Diego Air Staffs Out Over Sale

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, January 30, 2020 | 5:01pm CT

KFMB-FM

The entire air staffs of both KFMB-AM & FM/San Diego have been notified by Tegna Inc. that they only had two weeks before their services would no longer be needed, reports the San Diego Reader. Staffers of the two radio outlets -- that are being sold to Local Media San Diego -- were told at a mandatory morning meeting on January 24 that the job cuts were due to the sale. Local Media San Diego owns 91X, Magic 92.5 and Z90. Only five KFMB employees including four AE's and a commercial producer are expected to remain.

According to Tegna spokeswoman Anne Bentley, the 40 ousted employees were told they would receive a severance pay package. "They [LMSD] are purchasing the stations and they will decide who will stay with them," said Bentley. KFMB employees given a two-week notice include 100.7 FM air personalities Chris Cantore, Meryl Klemow, Cha Cha Harlow, Robin Roth and Rick Lawrence. AM 760 talk hosts Brett Winterble, Mike Slater and Mark Larson were told their current talk shows would be ending in two weeks as well.

Additionally, the San Diego Reader reports that KFMB-AM & FM must change their call letters to avoid any marketing confusion with KFMB-TV (Channel 8) which will be retained by Tegna.

Meanwhile, SDR says, another firing spree is affecting the careers of air talent and talk hosts on crosstown KGB, KOGO, Alt 94/9, Sunny 98.1, Jam'n 95.7 and Channel 933. The moves impacted Coe Lewis who has been on the local airwaves for 35 years, AJ Machado who has been playing radio hits locally for two decades and Jim McInnes who has been airing rock songs on the radio since 1973.