COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Nationwide layoffs at Cumulus Media, which owns and operates radio stations across the U.S., have impacted two longtime Mid-Missouri radio personalities. David Gaines and Simon Rose have left KFRU as part of the company’s nationwide cut, according to posts on social med ia from Gaines and from Rose's wife. Gaines announced on social media that he is no longer with KFRU, Columbia’s heritage radio station, following what he described as corporate downsizing and the elimination of Cumulus Media positions nationwide. Despite losing his job, Gaines said he is grateful for his time in Columbia and the people he met throughout his career. “These past 18 years have been such a wonderful stretch of my career,” Gaines wrote. “I’ve worked with so many talented and creative people. Been a part of countless wonderful events. Interviewed multiple local and state leaders, and interesting guests from all walks of life.” Gaines began working for Cumulus Media in 2008. Within a year, he was paired with longtime KFRU personality David Lile on “A Columbia Morning,” where he anchored the news. After Lile retired in 2022, Gaines took over as host of the morning show in May of that year. Rose spent 37 years at KFRU and 33 years at KBXR, where he was also a founding DJ. He sent a statement to ABC 17 on Thursday reflecting on his decades in local radio. “I am honored to have brought my voice to KFRU’s talk format, interviewing community leaders and other newsmakers, and being a part of the daily lives of the listeners,” Rose said. “The music lover in me will always be grateful for my years at KBXR — a format so distinctive that people still tune in from across the country.” Rose said he regrets not having the opportunity to properly say goodbye to his listeners. “I regret I didn’t have the chance for a proper goodbye, but please know how much I treasured my years with you,” Rose said. “I love the medium and the craft. I’ll miss my dedicated coworkers, and more than anything, the listeners who made every day of it a joy.” In a social media post, Rose’s family said he had experienced several rounds of cutbacks throughout his career, but this latest round marked the end of his time at the stations. Renee Hulshof worked alongside Rose as his co-host on KFRU for nearly 13 years. Hulshof left the company in 2020, and six years later, she said it is disappointing to see her former co-host laid off and described the cuts as a loss for local radio. “Our communities need local radio. They need local voices. They need local news, and when you take a legacy station like KFRU, you essentially close down those local voices and you end that local conversation. The community, I think, suffers,” Hulshof said. KFRU has about 1,200 followers on Facebook and roughly 1,800 followers on X. Hulshof said that early in her career, managers regularly discussed the station’s ratings with employees. Over time, she said those conversations became less frequent. “Anecdotally, I felt like we had a good, loyal following,” she said. “They must have seen something that they thought wasn't valuable to them from a corporate earning perspective, because from a community value perspective, I can tell you the community value that it had and continues to have.” Hulshof said journalism and the media industry are continuing to evolve, but she believes companies that fail to adapt to changing technology and audience habits risk losing their connection with local communities. “They sounded the death knell for local TV. They sounded the death knell for local newspapers,” she said. “I think those that survive have managed to adapt to the changing environment.” She said she believes Cumulus Media was slow to embrace new technology and changing listening habits during her time with the company. “I know when I was leaving, I don't think they were embracing the change in people's listening and social media habits,” Hulshof said. Columbia’s long history as a hub for journalism was one of the reasons University of Missouri senior Aaron Segal chose to attend the university. Segal hopes to become a radio host and currently works in radio through the university. “I absolutely love radio,” Segal said. “It’s one of the oldest forms of journalism...You’re describing everything to a listener because they don’t have the eyes, they’re not seeing it, and you have to be incredibly descriptive and use your words so well to describe everything.” Segal said it is difficult to see longtime radio personalities lose their jobs, but he believes the changes could also create opportunities for younger people entering the industry. “I think people aren’t really evolving as fast as the industry is,” Segal said. “Having personalities who have been in the industry for so long lose their livelihood is always really hard to hear. But it opens doors for younger people. I think it has pros and cons.” Segal said he does not believe radio is dying. Instead, he believes the industry is evolving as more listeners turn to digital platforms and podcasts. “It’s more evolving and changing,” Segal said. “A lot of the time you are seeing podcasts. I feel radio is transitioning from FM and AM airwaves to streaming and listening.” Cumulus Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March and said in April that a bankruptcy court had approved its restructuring plan. The company said the plan would eliminate approximately $600 million in debt. ABC 17 has reached out to Cumulus Media for more information about the nationwide layoffs, including how many employees are affected and whether the cuts are connected to the company’s bankruptcy restructuring. Check back for updates. The post Cumulus Media layoffs impact longtime Mid-Missouri radio hosts appeared first on ABC17NEWS. ...read more read less