WBAB, WBLI lay off two longtime radio personalities
Dana "MJ" Parisi, co-host of WBLI's morning show since 2018, was let go from the FM radio station. Credit: WBLI
Ted Lindner, WBAB's longtime news and traffic director — also a key member of the station's popular "Roger & JP" morning show — is leaving the station effective Friday. Lindner, who has been with the station since 2003, is part of a group of rolling layoffs that hit Cox Media-owned radio stations last week and at least one of its TV stations earlier in September.
Dana "MJ" Parisi, morning co-host since 2018 at WBLI-FM, another Cox property, was also let go.
Radio Insight also reported that Jeremy Rice, WBLI's program director, was also leaving after a 22-year run there.
In a Sept. 23 Instagram post entitled "Thank you & I Love you all," Parisi wrote, "I’m sad to say that today was my last day on Syke & MJ in the Morning. I wanted to have you hear it from me. I’m so Grateful and blessed to have done what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid. Not many people get to live out their childhood dreams for a day, better yet 2 decades." She added, "You will be hearing from me again, that’s for sure! I’m not done yet! I’m a Gemini. We don’t let up that easy!"
Andrew "Syke" Sykora remains with the show, along with its producer — now co-host — Ally Ali, who is also host of weeknight program "Ally Ali After Dark."
The layoffs, which were first reported in trade publications Inside Radio and Radio Insight, also affected Cox Media Group stations in Georgia, Florida and Texas, while Dedham, Massachusetts-based TV station WFXT/25 laid off "over a dozen news staffers" and canceled a handful of news programs in early September, according to the Boston Business Journal.
A majority stake in Atlanta-based Cox Media Group was sold to New York-based private equity giant Apollo Global Management in 2019. Cox owns 57 radio stations in 20 markets, including WBAB-FM, WBLI and WHFM on Long Island.
Andrew Sykora with co-host MJ of WBLI's long-running morning team "Syke and MJ," .... Credit: WBLI
Calls to Lindner and Parisi were not returned. Cox did not respond to email requests for comment.