Many KGO Radio, KFOG employees laid off

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Cumulus Media announced Thursday, many KGO Radio and KFOG employees were laid off due to restructuring purposes.

Legendary talk show host Ronn Owens signed off from KGO Radio for the last time, but his fans will be able to follow him to another station.

Owens has dominated Bay Area radio for 40 years and is now moving to Cumulus Media sister station, KSFO.

His voice has been the morning drive routine for Bay Area listeners for decades. His thought-provoking show attracts half a million regular listeners.

It will be quite the change for them and for Owens himself when he begins a new chapter doing afternoon drive-time radio at KSFO starting next Monday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. "I don't know if my body will handle that, I'm supposed to, but my body won't be used to it. It'll be hard to go to bed without an alarm clock, but I'll do it," Owens said.

Both KGO Radio and KFOG did not announce on what will replace the programming.

In a memo to employees, Cumulus Vice President Justin Wittmayer said: "Our goal is to reposition these two stations for future growth and strength through new and enhanced programming. Unfortunately, to achieve that goal we had the difficult but necessary task today of restructuring our KGO and KFOG station staffs."

The new generation of KGO 810 is coming next Tuesday at 6 a.m. and KFOG said its evolution is coming April 20.

For clarification purposes, San Francisco's KGO-TV is not being affected by any lay offs.