KCRW Cuts Staffers, Ends ‘Greater LA’ Show After 5 Years
Steve Chiotakis, who created and hosts KCRW’s “Greater LA,” announced on Wednesday that the station’s management has pulled the plug on the radio show as part of its move to reduce a $3 million budget deficit.
“Some news: Tomorrow is our last show of Greater LA,” he wrote on X. “KCRW management is ending it after nearly 5 years. I am so grateful for the time we had, the wonderful people who helped put it together, and all the ears that listened. Thank you for everything!”
The station is also losing about a dozen staffers, including “All Things Considered” host Janaya Williams and “Morning Becomes Eclectic” co-host Anthony Valadez, who have opted to take voluntary buyouts, according to the LA Times.
It’s the biggest staff reduction since the station laid off 24 people in early 2020.
Chiotakis is not leaving the station but will be taking over as host of “All Things Considered.”
Some news: Tomorrow is our last show of Greater LA. KCRW management is ending it after nearly 5 years. I am so grateful for the time we had, the wonderful people who helped put it together, and all the ears that listened. Thank you for everything!
— Steve Chiotakis
(@RadioChio) January 10, 2024
In an internal memo obtained by the Times, KCRW chief content officer Arnie Seipel wrote that the audience for “Greater LA” just wasn’t large enough.
“For years, ‘Greater LA’ has looked at national news stories — from rent hikes to homelessness to workers’ rights — through a Los Angeles lens, but has struggled to secure a sustainable audience on broadcast or digital platforms,” Seipel wrote.
“Greater LA” reporters will be reassigned to shows with larger audiences, including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
KCRW station president Jennifer Ferro said that “Greater LA” is the only program being cut.
Among the final episodes of “Greater LA” were segments focusing on the Skid Row People’s Market and the experimental performance troupe Diavolo, whose new work Existencia is about the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
The station, an NPR member station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College, has an annual operating budget of about $23 million, which is drawn from member contributions and corporate sponsorships.
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