Hubbard Radio’s “Skor North” (KSTP/1500) has released most of its airstaff due to the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
KSTP content director and host Phil Mackey announced the cuts on Friday afternoon, saying he is “absolutely crushed.” Mackey said COVID-19 has had a major impact on the station’s finances.
“For our guys who lost jobs today, I will go to bat for every one of them. If you are a sports media entity in a position to hire – whenever that may be – Matthew Coller, Ramie Makhlouf, Derek Wetmore, Seth Auger, Jon Harrison and Ross Brendel are STARS. I love you guys,” Mackey wrote.
The post said Mackey & Judd will continue to air in the 5 p.m. hour, as well as in podcast form.
Meanwhile, Hubbard’s “My Talk 107.1” (KTMY) reported that two of its producers also lost their jobs.
RadioInsight and All Access report that the changes come amid cuts at numerous Hubbard stations nationwide. Hubbard is the latest in a series of broadcasters forced to make cuts due to the quick economic downturn.
KSTP is an ESPN Radio affiliate and rebranded as “Skor North” last year. The lineup had included local programming from Noon to 7 p.m.
Nielsen Audio 6+ ratings for March showed KSTP with a 0.5 average quarter hour share, putting it in 25th place in the market.
Well… since loyal listeners will notice I’m not on the air, gotta let everyone know that Coronavirus’s impact hit us today at @SKORNorth and I no longer have a gig. However, I’ll be starting my own site/podcast/youtube soon to keep up the coverage. Thanks to all who listened
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) May 1, 2020