Yakima DJ Jenifer Wilde is bucked by The Bull

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Jenifer Wilde, a radio DJ with 92.9 The Bull, is the latest casualty in a string of cuts at Gap West Broadcasting.

"They're cutting it down to the bare bones," said Wilde, who was let go on Friday. "There is no morale. There are honestly a lot of very depressed people right now."

Last winter, Clear Channel Communications sold six of its Yakima stations to the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Gap West Broadcasting. Since then, the number of positions has been drastically cut, Wilde said. In addition to herself, she said Weezy, a DJ on KFFM-FM, was also let go last week.

Already this year, Wilde said employees at Gap West stations have taken an across-the-board cut in wages, which she estimated at about 5 percent.

Numerous phone calls to General Manager David Roederer and Operations Manager Rik Mikals were not returned Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Bull offers country western, while KFFM provides pop music.

In the Yakima Valley, Gap West owns KIT-AM (talk radio), KATS-FM (rock), KFFM-FM (pop), KUTI-AM (country), KDBL-FM (country) and KQSN-FM (variety hits).

Ron Harris of Selah was the company's former operations officer until October 2008, when his position was eliminated. He said he'd heard about the onslaught of cuts this year and is not surprised.

The radio industry is losing revenue across the nation because the recession is forcing advertisers to make cuts, Harris said.

"They are making cuts where they have to," he said. "It seems that overall, nationally, that advertising is the first expendable thing they have in their budget."

To save money, Wilde said Gap West is buying prerecorded shows from other markets.

Wilde says for now, she'll concentrate on the future.

"When one door closes, another door opens," she said, noting that her 10-year-anniversary would have been Wednesday. "You have to look at it that way. You have to have a positive attitude."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.