Mike Kaplan Out at KROQ; Audacy Executive Made Sweeping Station Changes, But Lost Listeners
variety.comMike Kaplan has exited as program director at KROQ, the station he revamped after joining in 2020 — to disastrous results. The senior VP of programming at Audacy (formerly Entercom) and brand manager for New York alternative outlet WNYL joined the company after its 2017 acquisition and subsequent revamp of the former CBS Radio chain.
He later added KROQ stripes, but has stepped down from his role overseeing the Los Angeles rock station, sources tell Variety.KROQ had weathered major changes under Kaplan, who took over the station after the exit of longtime program director Kevin Weatherly, who left in 2020 after 28 years (on the heels of a proposed pay cut) for a position at Spotify.
Most notably, he was at the helm when morning host Kevin Ryder was fired after three decades on the job. With Kaplan officially assuming brand manager duties for KROQ in Feb.
2020, the executive initially steered the station away from its rock and alternative roots towards more pop-leaning fare, riding the wave of TikTok-launched hits.
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