Chris Zito, the familiar local voice of the popular “Morning Show with Zito” on iHeartMedia’s WSRS 96.1 FM, has been let go as part of the audio company’s latest round of layoffs and staff cuts.
Wednesday, June 24 was his last show, marking the end of Zito’s six-year run of mornings on WSRS. His daily weekday show also aired on Mix 93.1 FM (WHYN) in Springfield. He previously did afternoons on WSRS ten years ago. Overall, Zito has been with the company for
nearly 15 years.
“This isn’t just happening to me, or the company I worked for,” Zito told the Worcester Guardian. “There’s more and more automation and syndication. I’ll mostly miss reaching my listeners every morning. I love Central Mass. I live here.”
Zito is a resident of Leicester with his wife Elizabeth, who was recently elected to the Leicester School Committee. He has received recognition for his radio work from the Massachusetts Broadcaster’s Association, including the “We Are Broadcasters” award, the “Air Personality of the Year” award and the “Merit Award.” In addition to his radio career, Zito is a speaker and comedian. A father of two daughters, he also hosts the “Dad Like It’s Your Job” podcast available on iHeart.
The layoffs are part of a restructuring plan to provide the company with $50 million in annual savings. Regional management at iHeartMedia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.
In Worcester, iHeartMedia owns WSRS and WTAG News Radio 580 AM/94.9 FM. Statewide, the company owns 15 additional radio stations in Boston (8), Springfield (4) and on Cape Cod (3).
According to a June 24 online article posted by The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartMedia executives sent a memo to employees earlier this week outlining the needs for staffing cuts.
“As the number one company in audio, our business model is to build engaged relationships with listeners and then monetize those relationships. Our business success is built on putting our listeners and our communities first – and in support of that mission, we’re now taking an important step that will move us further into the future: Evolving how we program our stations to reward and develop our leading and up-and-coming talent,” states the opening of the memo.
The memo closes with a note to affected employees: “While we will be creating new roles to support our future needs, we also recognize that some colleagues and existing positions will be impacted as part of these changes. We have given this a great deal of thought and do not take
this step lightly; we are deeply grateful for the contributions of those affected, and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition.”
At present, the future is unclear as far as Zito’s next gig.
“Not sure what’s next, but as the great psychic one said, ‘SOMETHING will happen,’” said Zito. “Stay tuned.”
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
