By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, July 30, 2015
Dwayne "Emperor" Searcy's reign at Hot is over.
Searcy was let go this week, a victim of budget cuts. He was there for 20 years since the station's early days as Hot 97.5. He began as a mix master, eventually taking over afternoon drive. He has spent a bulk of his time in that slot over the years.
Radio One Atlanta, as reported earlier, has also cut fellow veteran jocks Carol Blackmon and Rene Miller at sister station Majic 107.5/97.5.
In a statement, Radio One said these cuts reflect "our need to redesign our operations to work more efficiently."
"We are currently working through internal realignment plans to fill their day parts," the statement added. In other words, whoever and however they fill those slots, the on-air talent won't be quite so expensive.
Combined, Blackmon, Miller and Searcy have compiled more than 50 years of on-air radio experience in Atlanta.
The public relations folks at Radio One headquarters up in Lanham, Md. provided me this anodyne tribute to all three: "Blackmon, Miller and Searcy were treated with the dignity and respect they deserve and we are grateful for their years of service."
Surely, they all received very generous severance packages. In a brief interview, Searcy said he couldn't say anything beyond honestly acknowledging how grateful he was for his time at Hot. Oftentimes, severance packages come attached with non-disparagement clauses that limit what former employees can say for a period of time after they are let go.
Coincidentally, I just wrote a profile about Searcy last month celebrating his 20 years there. My impression: he was a very loyal employee, willing to do whatever it took to win. But he was probably compensated very well and became a target of the accountants.
Radio One Atlanta has been suffering revenue drop offs the past year or two, based on comments made by executives during recent quarterly stock analyst phone conferences.
Ratings for both Hot and Majic are also far below their performances two years ago.
In 2013, Hot averaged a 4.9 share overall in Nielsen Audio ratings. That dropped to 4.1 in 2014 and 3.8 so far in 2015.
Majic pulled in a 6.8 share in 2013, good for third place overall. Last year, it slipped to a 5.3. This year, it has fallen to a 4.2, year to date with a 3.7 in June, its worst monthly performance in several years.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
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