Forever fires third veteran broadcaster: WRKY’s Bithell

Dave Bithell has spent his entire professional career in broadcasting.

Now he is not sure what he's going to do.

"I will stay up and watch the late show, and sleep in til 6 and then try to find an employer who appreciates good employees," said Bithell, 58, who last week became the third veteran broadcaster let go in the past several months by Forever Broadcasting.

August would have marked 40 years for him in broadcasting.

Roger Corey, co-host of the morning show on WALY-FM since 1991, was dismissed in November. Steve Clark, co-host of the "Charlie and Steve Show" on WFBG-AM, was dismissed in January.

Bithell, who spent nearly nine years with Forever, said he was angered when notified of his dismissal by Dave Davies, vice president and general manager of Forever Broadcasting, Altoona.

"They have been laying off people. And he said, 'With bad economic times, we have to make more cuts, and this time it's you.' I said, 'You are destroying my life; I need an explanation.' He said I was in a nonrevenue-generating position," said Bithell, who served as morning show co-host on WRKY-FM with Tommy Edwards, news director and program director for the two AM stations, WFBG and WVAM.

Davies said Bithell was dismissed for budgetary reasons. He also said Charlie Weston, who now co-hosts the morning show on WFBG-AM with Dick DiAndrea, was promoted to program director for WFBG and WVAM and will handle the morning news duties, as well.

Bithell "was dismissed for business reasons and to make the operation more efficient so we can grow," Davies said. "I felt we could eliminate Dave Bithell's position and we could run our news more efficiently."

Clark, who has stayed busy running his advertising business, said he was saddened to hear of Bithell's dismissal.

"If you work in radio in this area, there are two companies that own all of the stations - the [Dave] Barger group (WBXQ-FM, WRTA-AM and WBRX-FM) and Forever. It's not like the old days when, if you would lose a job, you could jump around," Clark said. "If you lose a job, the only way to stay in radio is to leave town. There is nobody else."

Davies said Forever, which also recently dismissed the night host known as Cricket on WFGY-FM and longtime receptionist Carol Markel, is doing well despite the dismissals.

"It has had a positive effect. We have got leaner and become more efficient; we are growing," Davies said. "All media are doing what they have to do. Media, whether print or broadcast, are responding to the economy, as are many other businesses."

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.