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Bay Area radio host Lamont Hollywood signs off from 107.7 The Bone
Longtime Bay Area radio host Lamont Hollywood was laid off from 107.7 The Bone.
SAN FRANCISCO - Longtime Bay Area radio host Lamont Hollywood is leaving the airwaves after 24 years at 107.7 The Bone, but not before taking a parting shot at corporate media.
Hollywood, host of "The Lamont Show," announced his departure Monday after spending more than two decades at the station.
He has spent 37 years in radio and was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2021.
Hollywood blames corporate cutbacks
What they're saying:
Hollywood attributed his departure to corporate restructuring and cutbacks at Cumulus Media, the station’s parent company. He criticized the broader consolidation of the radio industry, calling it a "tragic consequence" for local radio.
"What we are all witnessing is the tragic consequence of debt-fueled media consolidation," Hollywood said.
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Cumulus Media, which owns KNBR, issued a statement praising longtime Bay Area sportscaster Greg Papa following his departure from the station.
He said large corporate conglomerates have acquired hundreds of radio stations through debt and then cut staff, reduced local programming and replaced live personalities with syndicated programming and automated voice tracking.
He also condemned executives for prioritizing salaries and bonuses while reducing investments in local talent.
"The suits in corporate headquarters treat a radio station like a spreadsheet, completely blind to the fact that radio was built on authentic human connection, community trust and undeniable personality," Hollywood said.v"They think they can algorithmically automate decades of trust, local flavor, and real intimacy with a community. When companies gut the very voices that give a station its identity, they destroy the soul of the medium and push loyal listeners away. Corporate suits control the tower and the license, but they don't own my voice, my character, or the unbreakable relationship I’ve built with you."
Hollywood plans independent return
What's next:
Hollywood said his departure from 107.7 The Bone is not the end of his radio career.
He plans to continue "The Lamont Show" independently.
"The silver lining in today’s media landscape is simple: The audience follows the talent, not the signal frequency," Hollywood said. "While this chapter on the radio dial is closing, our story is far from over. Moving to an independent platform will give me total creative control, zero corporate meddling, and direct ownership of the show."
Hollywood ended his message by reassuring longtime listeners that they have not heard the last from him.
"We will be together again soon, and I can’t wait to share what’s next," he said.