NorthEast Radio Watch 4/6/2026: No More Local Managers at Audacy

In this week’s issue… Audacy cuts local managers – Cape Cod, VT, western PA FMs sold – WVOM ousts Bangor legend, draws ire – New owner for NJ duo – AM surrenders in VT

By SCOTT FYBUSH

*It’s been a busy two weeks indeed, including some travel and NAB Show preparation that scrubbed our planned issue last week and turned this into a double issue, probably not for the last time this spring. Thanks for your patience as always (and if you’re coming to Las Vegas for NAB, stop by and see your editor at the Broadcast Radio booth, C2230, to learn all about Myriad radio automation software! You can even get a free floor pass by using our code, NS9659, to register at NABShow.com.)

The wave of cutbacks at big radio companies hasn’t been letting up, unfortunately, and so our lead this week is a restructuring at Audacy that included not only more local job cuts but also a complete rethinking of the role of local market managers. At the local level, managers will now focus exclusively on sales, with regional managers overseeing other duties including programming and engineering.

In western New York, for instance, that puts Pittsburgh-based Michael Spacciapolli in charge of Buffalo and Rochester, which means veteran Buffalo market manager Tim Wenger, whose longtime focus has been on news and programming, now takes a regional role instead overseeing sales in both markets.

Philadelphia’s SVP/market manager, David Yadagaroff, won’t be sticking around to see how things change. Just before the cuts started happening, he announced his retirement at the end of May, closing out a 36-year career that found him inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame last year.

As for the cuts at the local level? There’s no comprehensive list, of course, but here are a few names we know: in Hartford, David Simpson is out after more than 30 years with what’s now the Audacy cluster, including riles as APD/MD at WTIC-FM and WZMX as well as afternoons on WRCH (Lite 100.5) and weekend work at sister stations WCBS-FM in New York and WBMX in Boston.

In Pittsburgh, WDSY (Y108) midday host Maria D’Antonio is out after 11 years with the cluster, where she also did some time in afternoons down the hall at WBZZ (100.7 Star).

In Philadelphia, Devan Kaney is out as Eagles sideline reporter and columnist at WIP (94.1).

Here in Rochester, Hope Breen is out as part of the morning show at WBEE (92.5), where she’d joined in 2023 as an offshoot of her own work as a local travel influencer.

*Behind the scenes, we’re told most of the other job cuts at Audacy came in local digital sales departments, as the company pared underperforming salespeople.