Cumulus Moving Toward Re-Hiring WPRO Personalities

WPRO talk radio personalities Dan Yorke, John DePetro, and Ron St. Pierre, all facing expiring contracts, are in talks to sign new contracts with the station, the Phoenix has learned.

There has been uncertainty at the station since last winter, when news broke that Atlanta-based Cumulus Media was moving to buy WPRO's old parent company, Citadel Broadcasting. Cumulus closed on the $2.3 billion deal in September, acquiring Citadel's sprawling national network of stations and becoming the second-largest radio conglomerate in the country behind Clear Channel.

Speculation swirled for months that the new owners would drop local talent, wholesale, in favor of cheaper syndicated programming a la Rush Limbaugh.

Station sources have long downplayed that speculation. And it seems increasingly likely, now, that local programming will remain in place - though where talks stand, precisely, with Yorke, DePetro, and St. Pierre is unclear.  

The Phoenix first reported last month on Yorke and DePetro's expiring contracts. The paper hadn't reported on St. Pierre's expiring contract until now.

A long-time fixture in the Providence radio market, St. Pierre has worked in management and as an on-air personality. He was key in bringing Buddy Cianci on board at WPRO after the former Providence mayor was released from prison in 2007 and has served as a co-host on Cianci's show since.

St. Pierre, whose contract will expire before Yorke's or DePetro's, declined to comment.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it aimed to chop $51.9 million after taking over Citadel. And in November, the company laid off seven people at WPRO and the other Cumulus stations in the market.

Among those laid off: Yorke's then-producer Tony Cornetta. After he was let go, Cianci's producer shifted over to Yorke's show and St. Pierre moved behind the board, where he has continued to serve as Cianci's co-host - using a microphone in the booth.