Hubbard Chicago lays off two on-air personalities

Podrumedic, Kotsy exit as ratings fall

The sting of media layoffs has arrived in Chicago.

Minneapolis-based Hubbard Radio announced two departures from its Chicago cluster this week. On Thursday, 101.9 The Mix’s Violeta Podrumedic exited the station’s morning show after six years.

“I will keep everyone posted with updates, and I know this is change and change can be somewhat difficult, but I’m excited. I appreciate all my time at The Mix and everyone there“, said Podrumedic in a video posted on social media. “Thank you thank you so much. Um… stay tuned. I don’t have a better radio tease at the moment but stay tuned. Thank you guys so much for all of your love and support. I miss you greatly.”

Podrumedic joined what was then known as Eric In The Morning With Melissa and Whip as a producer and traffic reporter in 2019 and rose through the ranks as a social media manager and on-air host. The show became The Morning Mix in 2021 after Eric Ferguson was forced out due to sexual harassment allegations, while Melissa McGurren departed the show a few months earlier. 

The Morning Mix’s Chris Petlak, Nikki Chuminatto, and Brian ‘Whip’ Paruch remain on the show. 

The move comes after sister station Throwback 100.3 let midday host Lisa Kotsy go on Monday“Ten amazing years, thousands of memories! THANK YOU SO MUCH for listening”, said Kotasy on her Facebook page. “Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be glad that it happened. The best is yet to come! I’ll keep you all posted on what’s next!!” Known as WTBC-FM, Throwback programs a “millennial hits” format, featuring pop songs from the 1990s and 2000s. Kotsy had been with the station for a decade, under various formats, brands, and call letter changes. Before that, she was a producer at US99 (WUSN-FM).

While Classic Rock The Drive (WDRV-FM) continues to perform well and produce stellar ratings for Hubbard, the other two in Hubbard’s cluster have struggled in recent months. Once a top-five station, 101.9 The Mix recently finished in a three-way tie for eighteenth place in the latest PPM ratings, as WTMX hasn’t benefited from the popularity of Taylor Swift despite being a core artist at the station. Meanwhile, the recently relaunched Throwback finished in 23rd place, hardly an improvement from its WSHE days. 

Hubbard joins other media companies making cuts. Last week, ABC announced layoffs at its eight owned and operated stations, including WLS-TV, which reportedly let an unspecified number of employees go last week due to cutbacks at parent company Disney. Scripps announced two weeks ago the elimination of 200 jobs with the downsizing of Scripps News, which means the likely closure of its Chicago bureau.

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