Posted by Wondering on May 17, 2009 at 16:18:36:
Radio personality Jane Matenaer gives on-air goodbye after being axed
Posted: May. 15, 2009 | Tim Cuprisin
Veteran Milwaukee radio personality Jane Matenaer has been dropped by WMYX-FM (99.1) as the station looks to improve the morning show ratings.
The Entercom-owned station announced the change in a rare but classy move: a recorded farewell from Matenaer, who would have celebrated her 25th anniversary on the air this August.
"As of today, WMYX and I are parting company. In an industry known for its volatility, no one has been more surprised than I at my longevity at the station," she said in the two-minute recorded statement that aired Friday. "While, at this point, I don't know what direction my life will take, I do look forward to the future and new possibilities and opportunities."
Radio personalities are often axed without a chance to say goodbye, generally because of management fears about what they might say into an open microphone. Usually, the only place you can find out what happened to a familiar voice is in Inside TV & Radio.
General manager Alan Kirshbom says the move was not part of the waves of firings in radio because of the industry's overall financial state.
"If it were a financial reason, I would have flipped the switch on a syndicated morning show," he said. "We will have a live, local morning show continuing on WMYX."
The station has already replaced a local afternoon show with Ryan Seacrest's syndicated program from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays.
WMYX was in eighth place between 6 and 10 a.m. weekdays among men and women ages 25 to 54, as measured in the first-quarter Arbitron ratings. It was tied with the old WKTI for ninth in the first quarter of 2008. That station, now WLWK-FM, was tied for sixth in the latest ratings.
But Kirshbom says WLWK's performance isn't the reason for the morning change.
WMYX is advertising for a new personality to join Kidd O'Shea on the morning show. The station broadly targets female listeners ages 25 to 54, focusing more tightly on the 25-to-49 demographic.
Matenaer had little to say in addition to her farewell, posted at 991wmyx.com/pages/4404896.php. She said only that her contract renewal was coming up and the station decided not to pick up her option.
She asked fans to follow her on Facebook.