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Clear Channel Layoffs Take Toll On Tampa Radio

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By WALT BELCHER wbelcher@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 22, 2009

TAMPA - They are calling it the Inauguration Day Massacre.

Radio giant Clear Channel Communications cut 1,850 jobs nationwide on Tuesday, including an undisclosed number at eight Tampa stations the company owns.

Among those let go here: Clear Channel programming Vice President Gabe Hobbs; on-air personality "Joey B" Bellardita, producer of the "MJ Morning Show" on WFLZ, 93.3 FM; and Kay Long, a news reporter-producer at the station.

Most of the cuts came from the sales staff, according to company officials. The total reduction nationwide represents 9 percent of the company's work force.

Clear Channel stations in Tampa include WFLA (970 AM), WDAE (620 AM), WFLZ (93.3 FM), WMTX (100.7) and WXTB (97.9 FM).

Clear Channel Chief Executive Officer Mark Mays told employees the cuts were the result of the economic downturn affecting all media.

Hobbs, who has been with Clear Channel's Tampa operations for 25 years, said he knew that the company faced cutbacks and that there was a 50-50 chance he would be let go. "I fell on the wrong side of the 50," he said.

"I already have offers on the table. I just hope I can stay in Tampa," he said. "I've had a long and fulfilling career here."

Hobbs discovered and hired Glenn Beck, who now is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host. He hired well-known Tampa personality Jack Harris and teamed him with Tedd Webb on the WFLA morning show, and he also hired Todd Schnitt (who goes by MJ Kelli on his morning show). He turned WDAE in to "The Sports Animal," one of the top sports talk stations in the country.

Hobbs was director of news-talk-sports programming for 280 of the company's 1,200 stations. He was named news-talk radio executive of the year in 2008 by Radio and Records magazine.

The cuts at Clear Channel follow recent nationwide layoffs at the CBS-owned radio stations including more than 20 who were let go at the Tampa-based stations in November and December. Among them were on-air personalities Marvelous Marvin Boone, Bill Connolly, Jo Jo Walker, Rico Blanco and Mike Reeves at WRBQ (104.7 FM).

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

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