SAN ANTONIO, TX -- National radio industry trade websites are reporting Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio company, issued layoffs in multiple markets today. But, to the best of our knowledge, it appears the company's six-station cluster in Syracuse was spared this time around.
According to reports from AllAccess.com and Radio-Info.com, the cuts appear to be focused on major and middle-sized markets including Detroit, Cleveland, Nashville, Portland and Columbus. As of Thursday night, AllAccess had a more-detailed list of names and titles, including talk hosts, news anchors, sportscasters, morning drive hosts and at least one sales assistant.
The report also says Clear Channel completely eliminated the entire Total Traffic department (the "accident causing a 20-minute backup" kind of traffic, not the "don't you dare schedule any Honda City spots during Rush" kind) in Minneapolis, and all but one staffer in Milwaukee's traffic unit.
Thankfully, there's no mention of Syracuse (or any other New York state markets for that matter) on the list. It was five months ago this week that Clear Channel eliminated longtime WSYR talk host Jim Reith and at least three other staffers in Syracuse. Despite happening so late in the year, our story on those cutbacks became the #3 most-read story during 2011 on CNYRadio.com, and the #1 pick when we asked readers to rank the year's biggest stories.