SportsTalk 790 morning co-host Cole Thompson (left) is among the Houston radio personalities affected by iHeartRadio’s nationwide layoffs.
SportsTalk 790
Mass layoffs at iHeartMedia have reached Houston, costing two local radio personalities their jobs.
SportsTalk 790 morning co-host Cole Thompson and Sunny 99.1 midday host Amanda Flores are among the employees affected by the company’s nationwide round of programming and on-air cuts.
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SportsTalk 790 host confirms departure
Thompson joined SportsTalk 790 in 2024 and was promoted last November to co-host The Morning Drive with Dan & Cole alongside Dan Mathews after serving as producer of The A-Team and host of The Night Cap.
The station’s website now lists the show as The Morning Drive with Dan Mathews, and Thompson’s biography has been removed.
On Monday, Thompson confirmed on social media that “the rumors are true,” saying last week was his final week at SportsTalk 790.
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“Sadly with the changing times in media, iHeart had to make the difficult call to let me go,” Thompson wrote.
Thompson thanked station leadership for giving him “a platform to be the most authentic version of myself” and reflected on fulfilling a longtime dream.
“My time at 790 was short, but it was better than I could have hoped for,” he wrote. “At 16, I told myself I was going to become a host on sports talk radio full-time and somehow, that kid made it happen.”
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He also thanked listeners, saying they embraced his authentic approach and made his time on the air memorable.
A Houston native, Thompson previously hosted shows for SportsMap Radio and SEC Unfiltered, building more than a decade of experience covering Houston sports with earlier stops in Austin and San Antonio.
Sunny 99.1 host thanks listeners
Flores, who hosted the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift on Sunny 99.1 while also voicetracking for stations in Dallas and several other markets, announced on social media Thursday that she had been laid off by iHeartMedia the previous day.
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“I was laid off yesterday from iHeartMedia,” Flores wrote. She thanked listeners in the Rio Grande Valley, Houston, Dallas, Sacramento, San Antonio and Portland, calling them “always the best part of my day and why I pursued radio all these years.”
Flores said she was proud of what she accomplished during her career, including earning strong ratings, helping launch a station, winning a Marconi Award and raising millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
In a follow-up video, Flores again thanked listeners for supporting her throughout her career.
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“Thank you for letting me live out my dream every day,” she said. “I hope I made you laugh. I hope I entertained you and kept you company while you worked or enjoyed your weekend, whatever it may have been. It was a hell of a lot of fun to do. I enjoyed every second of it.”
Layoffs extend beyond Houston
The layoffs also reached other Texas markets. Steven “Rex” Gabriel, the longtime morning host at Rock “C101” in Corpus Christi, announced he was leaving after 36 years.
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“Some songs end before you’re ready. So does this one,” Gabriel wrote. “Thank you for 36 unforgettable years.”
According to multiple media reports, an internal memo sent to employees on June 23 said iHeartMedia is restructuring its programming operations to expand the use of technology while investing in its top on-air talent. The company acknowledged the changes would eliminate some positions while creating new roles as it reshapes its programming strategy.