K102 music director among victims of the latest round of iHeart radio cuts

iHeartMedia initiated mass layoffs on Monday, affecting multiple radio stations nationwide including in Minnesota.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the audio giant is cutting just under 5% of its 10,000 staff across all company levels, as it implements a new structure and moves towards more regionalized operations.

The layoffs affected multiple promotions and sales team workers, with most day-to-day station programming moving to the national programming teams.

While more cuts may be revealed in the days ahead, one confirmed so far affecting the Twin Cities is Kia Becht, the music director at country station K102, who is also the co-host on Chris Carr & Company.

Per Radio Insights , Becht – aka Kia Bratz – had been with the station for 15 years, working previously as its promotions director before becoming music director in 2014.

These cuts came after Bloomberg reported in August that iHeartMedia had begun talks with its lenders, including Pacific Investment Management Co., to attempt to restructure the debt payments due in May 2026.

Other affected radio hosts with Minnesota links includes Angi Taylor, a former co-host at KDWB in Minneapolis from 1997-2002, who has been been left go from Chicago's Rock 95.5, and another KDWB alum Eric. "E. White", who spent over three years working nights in the Twin Cities. He has left the morning show at CHR 97.1 KZHT in Salt Lake City.

iHeartMedia announced on Thursday morning that it entered into agreements with its lenders and holders of around 80% of the aggregate principal amount of its existing debt.

The agreement will extend the maturity of the company's existing debt by three years through one of two transactions: Either by exchanging offer transactions that will be offered to all holders of the Existing Debt, which consists of two alternative exchange transaction structures, or they can do concurrent consent solicitations to amend specific provisions in the indentures and credit agreement governing the existing debt.