WTDY AM and FM of Madison, Wisconsin laid off its news staff including John “Sly” Sylvester. A screenshot from his faceook page:
This is all you see when you go to the WTDY radio station web site for WTDY 1670AM/106.7FM now. Happy F*cking Holidays, indeed.
I’m informed on facebook that the email you see in the image above – rick.mccoy@mwfbg.net – is that of Rick McCoy with Mid-West Family Broadcasting.
I believe that this is Rick McCoy’s facebook profile.
According to dane101, Dylan Brogan, Shawn Prebil, Crystal McKenzie, Deanna Wright, Amy Barrilleaux, and Lindsay Adjavor are staff members who were let go today.
I personally have confidence that the team at WTDY will be able to either reassemble under a new and friendly radio banner or they’ll find other opportunities.
But what a horrible development for them just before the holidays.
From Channel 3000:
MADISON, Wis. -
“The entire news and programming staff of radio station 1670 WTDY-AM and 106.7 WTDY-FM was laid off Wednesday, including talk show host John “Sly” Sylvester, according to a company official.
The WTDY website was replaced by a holiday message. The station was airing Christmas music Wednesday afternoon.
Randy Hawke, operations manager, told WISC the radio station will run a Christmas music format until after the holidays. He said the new format has not yet been determined.”
Information below is dated
6/22/04 and comes from DIYmedia.net
“This article was initially written for/published in the Wisconsinite, a now-defunct alt-biweekly newspaper in Madison, WI.
The newest addition to Madison’s commercial radio dial is WHIT-FM, otherwise known as 93.1 “The Lake.” Similar in format to 101.5 WIBA-FM, the addition of “The Lake” brings the number of stations owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting in Madison to seven, topping Clear Channel’s local stable by one and making it the largest station owner in the market. Mid-West Family Broadcasting is based in Madison, but it also owns clusters of stations in LaCrosse, Benton Harbor, MI, Springfield, IL, and Springfield, MO. Its other Madison properties include 94.1 WJJO, “Magic” 98, Q-106, WTDY-AM (1670), WTUX-AM (1550), and “La Movida” WTDA-AM (1480), which Mid-West Family owns but leases to Hispanic programmers.
The route by which “The Lake” was built is a long and somewhat convoluted story, but it shows…”
Please continue to DIYmedia.net to read the remainder of the article.
When is WTDY’s license up for renewal? These are public airwaves after all. Christmas music does not serve the public as well as news/talk, especially with the excellent staff formerly at WTDY.