iHeartMedia Layoffs Hit Radio Hosts and Staff
Categoria: Musica
The cuts reportedly affect dozens of jobs and come two months after an earlier round of layoffs at the radio giant.
Por Billboard | 25/06/2026
iHeartMedia is eliminating dozens of on-air jobs and other positions as part of a restructuring of its programming division that will leverage tech and up-and-coming talent, according to an internal memo viewed Thursday (June 25) by Billboard and various media reports . Since emerging from bankruptcy in 2019, iHeartMedia has faced lingering financial challenges stemming from changes in listener behavior and the ad market. Despite its dominant ownership of Top 40 radio and fast-growing audio and video podcast distribution business, the company said in May it anticipated an additional $50 million in cost savings this year. The layoffs rolled out this week follow cuts the company made in April to management and sales jobs, according to a report at Barrett Media . Related iHeartMedia Revenue Up Nearly 10% on Podcast Business — But Soft Ad Market Hurts Profits Jack White's Wife Olivia Jean Files for Divorce After 4 Years of Marriage Kazumasa Izawa of JASRAC on Meeting the New Challenges of Japanese Music Worldwide: Billboard Global Power Players Interview “We’ve built new tech capabilities over the last several years that have enabled us to both deepen our relationships with the listeners and communities who depend on us and improve the support we provide to our sellers,” according to the internal memo, which was penned by the company’s multiplatform group CEO Ann Marie Licata and chief programming officer & president Tom Poleman . “We’re now moving to scale this approach,” the memo continues. “While we will be creating new roles to support our future needs, we also recognize that some colleagues and existing positions will be impacted as part of these changes. We have given this a great deal of thought and do not take this step lightly; we are deeply grateful for the contributions of those affected, and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition.” The company did not elaborate on how technology would supplement operations, but iHeartMedia has taken a firm public stance that it prioritizes human talent and does not use AI in its programming. On-air and staff positions were reportedly eliminated this week at stations in markets across the country, including Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa, where the Des Moines-based iHeartMedia sports radio station KXnO reportedly laid off a large portion of its on‑air talent and staff. With more than 860 stations in 160 markets, iHeartMedia controlled 21.5% of the U.S. radio market — encompassing music and non-music stations — and 22.5% of the music radio market in 2024, according to an analysis by Citrin Cooperman of the most recent data available from broadcast research firm BIA. Related Executive Turntable: iHeartMedia Names CEO of Multiplatform — Plus, Moves at HYBE America & More “They’re widespread in every major market,” Elon Altman , a partner in Citrin Cooperman’s music & entertainment valuation services, told Billboard in an interview in May. “In th