As a devoted listener of Kevin & Sluggo for the past decade, this news hit me like a ton of bricks. Their witty banter, relatable humor, and unparalleled connection with their audience made each drive home a joyous experience. I’ve laughed, cried, and even learned a thing or two from these radio legends.
On Friday afternoons last week, “The Kevin & Sluggo Show” was absent from KLOS-FM in Los Angeles, as hosts Kevin Ryder and Doug “Sluggo” Roberts were let go. This move to remove the afternoon drive-time slot on KLOS is part of a larger cost-cutting strategy by owner Meruelo Media, affecting several local radio stations under its umbrella such as KPWR-FM “Power 106,” KDAY-FM and KLLI-FM “Cali 93.9.
Earlier this year, Meruelo made the decision to dismiss all midday hosts across its four L.A. stations, along with certain part-time and off-station personnel. This change affected midday DJ Marci Wiser at KLOS, who had been a part of the station since 2015. In February, Meruelo also terminated the contract of Power 106 afternoon host DJ Felli Fel (real name James Andrew Corrine), who had been working there since 2000.
On Friday, Ryder shared the news about his and Roberts’ departures through social media, mentioning that just hours prior, KLOS unexpectedly launched a “Where’s Kevin?” promotional campaign with Honda, which came immediately before their decision to let him go.
There have been persistent whispers suggesting that Meruelo might be considering selling off their television stations, much like they did with their pro hockey team, the Arizona Coyotes, and more recently, their L.A. TV station KWHY-TV (Channel 22) to the Church of Scientology.
Ryder, having shared the news of his and Roberts’ departure with EbMaster, expressed his hope that someone who truly values KLOS might buy it.
In 2021, Ryder and Roberts debuted “Kevin & Sluggo” on KLOS. This came a year after Entercom, the owner of KROQ, unexpectedly canceled Ryder’s morning show, titled “Kevin in the Morning with Allie & Jensen”. This new program succeeded the long-running “Kevin & Bean”, which had been a mainstay for three decades.
Prior to this, Sluggo was handling the afternoon drive position at KLOS, a role he took up since summer 2019. Noteworthy, he still hosts shows on SiriusXM.
The teaming up of Ryder and Roberts was akin to a reunion for KROQ, given that Roberts had spent decades working at KROQ under different personas like “Doug the Slug” and “Sluggo”, while Ryder and Gene “Bean” Baxter joined KROQ in the mornings at the start of 1990. Over time, “Kevin & Bean” became the top-rated show in the L.A. market during parts of the 2000s, and they were eventually inducted into both the NAB Hall of Fame and Radio Hall of Fame.
For quite some time now, Ryder has been acquainted with Roberts, dating back even before their days at KROQ. In fact, they both held positions at Phoenix’s popular station KZZP during the 1980s, a place where Baxter and long-term KROQ program director Kevin Weatherly were also employed. At KZZP, it was Roberts who managed the board, while Ryder and Baxter hosted the “Saturday Night Party Patrol” show.
When Kevin Ryder was hired, Otto Padron, President and CEO of Meruelo Media, emphasized the company’s dedication to live and local programming: “We’re really investing in ‘live and local’ with one of the best in the business,” he stated then. “Adding Kevin Ryder to our team was an obvious choice because this kind of bold, innovative decision brings us strong, engaging voices and up-to-date content for our loyal audience.
It seems this reporter, who often appeared on “Kevin & Sluggo” to talk about television, will no longer be doing so next Wednesday as previously planned.
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2024-09-07 06:16