When WLKF’s long-running “Polk County Live” morning show signed off on June 20, neither its hosts nor listeners knew it would be the last episode.
The show had 3.1K followers on Facebook, where it also streamed live. It touched on just about everything of significance in Polk County, including growth, road projects, local sports and tourism, mental health, veterans’ experiences, science, arts events, and nonprofit efforts.
The time slot is now filled by the nationally syndicated news magazine program “America in the Morning.”
The cancellation is a significant loss for the local community. But Polk County is just one of many markets where financial pressures have forced radio outlets to slash staff and scale back coverage.
Traditional radio stations have lost revenue as streaming services have peeled away listeners and online platforms like Facebook and Google have siphoned advertising dollars.
Hall Communications, which had 21 stations in five states in 2021, is down to 17 after divesting from Pennsylvania.
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“Radio stations across the country — iHeart, all the big boys, everybody — we’re all struggling, and that’s because there are so many other ways that people can get their media now,” said Nancy Cattarius, executive vice president of Hall’s four Central Florida stations.
The one exception is Christian radio stations, she said. “It hasn’t affected them very much.”
Hall Communications has made several strategic moves in recent years, including:
- Selling its four Lancaster, Pennsylvania stations in 2021.
- Letting the program director and morning cohost of MAX 98.3 FM adult hits station, go in January.
- Selling a communications tower in New England in April.
- Reaching a deal this month to sell its MAX 98.3 FM station to Lakeland resident James Campbell, president of The Joy FM Christian radio network.
Cattarius declined to discuss the potential sale, but said, “We have been taking a very close look at everything within the operation to make us stay as solvent as we can.”
But Mutz added, “It is a reflection of the changing nature of radio listeners and the economics for radio station owners.”