iHeart-broken: Listeners react to mass layoffs at local sports radio station
By Beau Bowman
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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Some local sports fans say they are ready to find a new radio station after mass layoffs at iHeartRadio gutted Des Moines’ KXNO.
The layoffs came Tuesday afternoon, leaving much of the station’s local staff out of work.
Longtime host Heather Burnside posted on X, “I’m no longer at KXNO and The Bus. Thank you so much for listening and being part of my extended family.”
Burnside hosted the morning show, and her co-host and producer were also laid off.
KXNO program director Sean Roberts was also cut from the lineup, along with his co-host and producer.
Roberts wrote online, “I got to live out a dream and I will be forever thankful. This is all I ever wanted to do.”
Listeners said the loss goes beyond sports talk.
“We’re losing a lot of outlets for our local colleges to talk to us fans through them,” Ryan May said.
“I think that even speaks to a broader thing in our community, we’re losing local spots. Local bars, local restaurants, we’re losing a local radio station. That’s scary,” Travis Halm said.
The layoffs in Des Moines are part of broader cuts across the iHeartRadio family nationwide.
The lone remaining local sports talk show is Miller and Condon, which is independently owned by the hosts, Ken Miller and Trent Condon, and not iHeartRadio. The announcement came less than 24 hours before Miller was set to retire. He skipped his farewell show, protesting the layoffs.
Miller had been at the station for 30 years.
Since the layoffs, listeners will hear national programming instead, with some saying their favorite teams may barely get mentioned.
Of the four iHeart stations in Des Moines, three lost all of their local talent and both of their female hosts.
iHeartRadio and KXNO did not respond to requests for comment.
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