Corus Radio has made a round of sweeping layoffs that include the majority of on-air staff at its Ottawa stations, JUMP! 106.9 (CKQB-FM) and boom 99.7 (CJOT-FM).
A source to Broadcast Dialogue confirms the cuts include Tim Morgan, who hosted the morning shows on both boom 99.7 and Big 101.1 (CIQB-FM) Barrie and worked with Corus for 17 years – the last nine in mornings; as well as JUMP! drive host Dayna Brez, who had been with the station for a decade; boom afternoon drive host Dylan Black, who’d been with the station since 2013; boom music assistant and weekend announcer Dave Nelson, who also hosted the morning show on BIG FM (CFMK-FM) Kingston; JUMP! weekend announcer Drew (Andrew Schofield); along with boom personality Jimmy Kalaitzis.
Also caught up in the Ottawa layoffs are longtime promotions coordinator Ryan Forsyth, who had been with the company for 13 years; music director Mike Lavallee, who had worked with Corus for 16 years; and show producer/board op Kayla Choules.
Syndicated evening personality Damian Rickards (aka Mr. D.), who hosted @Night on nine Corus stations in Ontario, including JUMP! remains with the company, Corus confirmed, however @Night has been cancelled.
“Today, after 13 years, I was informed my position in radio has been eliminated and I was let go,” Forsyth wrote in a post to LinkedIn. “I’ve had the greatest journey, incredible memories and once in a lifetime opportunities in the radio businesses. Most of all, I’ve met some of the best people and got to work with them.”
“It’s the only job I’ve known as an adult, and all I wanted to do,” he continued. “I’m grateful I got to do it for so long.”
Some programming on both Ottawa stations had already been provided by voices from elsewhere in the Corus network, including Tucker & Maura, who are heard in mornings on both 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto and JUMP!; Fresh Radio (CHAY-FM) Barrie morning show host Tara Dawn Winstone, who is heard in middays on boom 99.7; and Country 105 (CKRY-FM) Calgary morning host Josie Balka, who voicetracks middays on JUMP!
Meanwhile in Vancouver, afternoon drive duo Tyler & Lynch have been scrubbed from the CFOX website. Drex, who has been heard in afternoon drive on 102.1 The Edge Toronto, as well as mornings on 107.3 The Edge (CFGQ-FM) Calgary, was featured in the time slot on Tuesday. Several layoffs behind-the-scenes have also been reported at Corus’ Vancouver news/talk station CKNW.
“We can confirm that as part of our efficiency review process across Corus, we made some difficult but necessary changes that will enable us to pave the way forward for Corus’ FM Radio and Talk Radio,” a spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue. “As a result, certain roles at select stations have been impacted, including stations in the Ottawa and Vancouver markets.”
The layoffs come ahead of the company’s release of its third quarter financial results on June 26 and less than a week after Corus parted ways with Co-CEO Troy Reeb to move back to a single CEO structure, among other executive changes.
