Some well-known Kansas City radio show hosts are being impacted by a round of layoffs conducted by Audacy.
Radio Insight reports that the company will be letting go of between 250 and 300 employees as part of an effort to implement cost savings.
Johnny Dare confirmed that his show will no longer be on 98.9 The Rock.
“No one is more surprised than us that it’s lasted this long, but after 32 years, we got smoked,” he said on Facebook. “Tomorrow will be the final morning show for us on the Rock.”
The Johnny Dare Morning Show began in Kansas City in 1993 and ran from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The show built a loyal fanbase through a blend of rock music, humor, and celebrity interviews.
The show also has strong ties to the rock and biker communities.
Nikki Vivas and Brian Hudgens are also out at 99.7 The Point.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order in the coming days to dismantle the Department of Education.
According to a draft order reviewed by CNN, Trump will direct newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” to “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
Trump previously told McMahon that her goal should be to “put herself out of a job.”
The president campaigned on abolishing the department, claiming it has been overrun by “radicals, zealots, and Marxists” pushing a “woke agenda.” He has also expressed support for states assuming more responsibility for education.
While Trump may aim to dismantle the Department of Education, he cannot eliminate it unilaterally through an executive order. That’s because abolishing a Cabinet department requires congressional action, as Congress established the department in 1979 and appropriates its funding.
“Constitutionally and legally, and I think the answer for most observers who look at these matters, the answer is no. I mean, it’s pretty clear the answer is no (he can’t abolish the Department of Education),” said Matt Dallek, a professor at George Washington University.
Dallek, an expert on modern American political history and the use of presidential power, explained that Trump’s main roadblock is that Congress controls the power of the purse, a principle codified in the 1974 Impoundment Control Act.
“The Impoundment Act says essentially that presidents cannot simply redirect funds or spend as they wish in defiance of Congress and that, you know, Congress controls the spending,” Dallek said. “It really gets to the heart of separation of powers.”
Trump’s effort to dismantle the Education Department has focused heavily on the federal agency’s supposed influence on curriculum, highlighting issues like critical race theory. However, the department does not set curricula for schools; that responsibility is largely left to state and local authorities.
The department’s primary role is financial, providing funding for programs like student loans and financial aid, special education, subsidies for low-income districts, and civil rights enforcement. Congress has already approved and appropriated the funding for these programs.
Video below: Nonprofit files lawsuit against Department of Education over DEI ban
“There’s a reason why Congress has not voted to abolish the Education Department,” Dallek said. “You know, people hate government in the abstract. They think it’s bloated. But, you know, a lot of people rely on it or value a particular service or particular funding stream.
“A lot of rural districts that vote overwhelmingly conservative, you know, they get funding from the Department of Education,” Dallek continued. “It’s not as if Republicans in Congress are chomping at the bit to abolish it, or at least a lot of them I don’t think are, because it would hurt their constituents.”
Dallek said that although Trump’s power to abolish the department is constrained, there are other avenues he could explore to hinder its function that are less legally defined.
“Trump may not have the power to abolish it, but, you know, they could certainly try to defund it. They could fire a lot of people. They could use all kinds of machinations to make it dysfunctional and to perpetuate that kind of chaos,” Dallek said.
Dallek compared it to Trump’s approach to USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The Education Department has already faced some of that treatment. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut dozens of contracts it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress, and the administration has fired or suspended scores of employees.
“I think the legal question, the Constitution question is really important. But there’s also the reality of how Trump and Musk and his administration are now operating. And the reality is that they clearly don’t care about the Constitution or Congress,” Dallek said. “And if you don’t care about those things, you can do a lot of damage. And in a way, whether (the Education Department) is still standing after four years or not, I mean, it’s possible that’s a little beside the point.”
Washington Post columnist Ramesh Ponnuru speculated that Trump could also shift all of the programs within the Education Department to other agencies, rendering it impotent.
“The Justice Department would take over the work of enforcing civil rights in education, for example, and the Treasury Department would oversee student loans,” Ponnuru wrote.
Dallek said he doubts that Trump will take that approach since the administration has opted for a more “slashing and burning” style with other agencies. But, he acknowledged that it could be a possibility.
Either way, Dallek said he believes Trump will face legal challenges.
“I think whatever order Trump signs, whatever form it takes, it will be, very quickly swept into the courts,” Dallek said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Local radio hosts at 98.9 The Rock, 99.7 The Point announce departures
FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports
by: Kaitlyn Schwers
Posted: Mar 6, 2025 / 02:07 PM CST
Updated: Mar 7, 2025 / 07:21 AM CST
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some local radio show hosts in Kansas City have announced their departures on their respective Facebook pages following reports of widespread layoffs at Audacy radio stations Thursday.
Johnny Dare of 98.9 The Rock posted Thursday afternoon, “No one is more surprised than us that its lasted this long but after 32 years, we got smoked. Tomorrow will be the final morning show for us on the Rock.. join Nycki, Gregg, Jake, Kyle and I tomorrow morning starting at 6am for one final show.”
Earlier Thursday, Ponch of 99.7 The Point posted on Facebook, “Nikki and I are no longer on 997 The Point. We will have more details soon. Thank you all for your support Fam.”
FOX4 has emailed 98.9 The Rock and 99.7 The Point for comment but has not heard back as of Thursday afternoon.
By Thursday evening, the parent company, Audacy, issued a statement to multiple outlets, acknowledging the cuts. The company said, “Audacy has made workforce reductions to ensure a strong and resilient future for the business. We are streamlining resources to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to best position Audacy to continue serving listeners and advertisers with excellence.”
According to reporting from Barrett Media and Radio Insight, layoffs were also being reported at Audacy stations elsewhere in the country, including in Wichita, Boston, Minneapolis, San Diego, Portland, and Philadelphia.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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