In Defense of Chazz Kelly

In case you have not heard radio super conglomerate, Clear Channel, has just laid of 9% of its workforce (approximately 1850 employees.) This is all en effort of the new owners to trim $400 million in costs. They are blaming this on the recession saying that the advertising sales have been "soft." This of course does not please the board and investor group - so let's take out the Axe!!!!

This change is going to effect many markets - some of which will no longer have a local morning show, but instead they will get Ryan Seacrest (like we don't get enough of him already.) For us in CT we get to keep KC101's Total Access Morning Show, however they canned Ms. Chazz Kelly which hurts more than some suit can understand.

I listen to KC101 every morning getting ready for work because they are not cheesy, they do not talk only about relationships, their discussions range from silly to serious and they do good interviews. The reason the show worked so well is that Michael Maze (the "star" of the program) had Chazzy. She is the Simon to his Garfunkel, the Hall to his Oates, the Sigfried to his Roy. They are friends outside of the radio program and it shows - they have a good rapport. When Maze gets a bit dreamy she doses him with a bit of reality. She also steers the interviews, especially when it is an interview with a beautiful woman. When Maze is about to embarrass himself she pipes in and saves him from himself. She makes Maze a better host.

I am guessing that Chazz got the axe because she is a radio veteran (so her salary was probably higher than your fresh out o' college DJ), yet she was not the marquee name of the morning show - the suits considered her dispensable. I bet you they never even listened to the show - she was a name and a number to them. The show is just not the same without her. And lets not even talk about the fact that finding another radio gig is going to be so tough for her and the other 1,849 people canned, since Clear Channel owns 1200 radio stations in this country. 1200!!!!!

One of the most horrible things about this situation is that Chazzy just got engaged and is planning a summer wedding. Thanks for the wedding present Clear Channel. Kudos.