MOBERLY — Residents in Randolph County and communities in north Missouri lost a major source for local news, sports and weather radio coverage after all broadcasting staff at KWIX/KRES/KIRK/KTCM radio stations were reportedly let go Tuesday.
The stations are owned by Alpha Media Group, which operates 207 radio stations across 44 regional markets.
Former KWIX/KRES radio station newsroom staff Austin Ward posted about his layoff on Facebook. He told KOMU he was grateful for his time at the station.
All Alpha Media stations in Missouri will have the same fate with the cutting of local newsroom staff, according to social media posts from former employees. KOMU 8 reached out to Alpha Media for comment multiple times but has not received a response.
The stations will still be on the radio waves but will include syndicated content, meaning there will be no local news, sports and weather coverage, according to KWIX/KRES general manager Bob Dakin. National sports coverage and music will still be on the air.
Dakin would not confirm how many people were let go and referred KOMU 8 back to Alpha Media for comment.
Rana Hutchinson has lived in Moberly for over 35 years and said a lot of community members relied on those radio stations.
“These people have sat up with us all night during tornadoes and they’ve been live during ball games,” Hutchinson said. “…You’ll see people in the stands with earphones in watching the game and listening to Austin (Ward), just makes it that much more exciting because he’s great at what he does.”
Higbee head basketball coach Tanner Burton said this will also impact all the talented athletes in the area.
“When you lose that, the recognition dwindles away, so when you have that in these small town USA schools, you’re really taking away, and it is hurtful to these kids because they aren’t going to get the exposure they would get otherwise,” Burton said.
Burton said it will also be particularly hard for the community members who like to listen to local sports.
“It’s going to be a big dose of reality when September, October, November when basketball season starts, and there’s no radio waves going when these kids are playing, and you got the choice of either to stop following your team or drive and hour to watch your team, and that’s hard for some folks,” Burton said.
This story has been updated to correct the term “layoff” with the term “let go” for accuracy.
