Feder: 'Unpaid vacation' gives no break to iHeartMedia staffers

For the second time this month iHeartMedia is citing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for cutting the pay of its employees, Robert Feder writes.

On Tuesday the radio giant announced those who earn more than $50,000 a year will be required to take two weeks of "unpaid vacation" before the end of 2020.

While iHeartMedia is far from alone in making cutbacks, the company's use of language is especially insidious. In January - before the coronavirus shutdown - iHeartMedia referred to the layoff of as many as 1,000 employees (including Chicago personalities Chris Michaels, Michael "DJ MoonDawg" Muniz and Trace Hamilton) as "transformation and modernization initiatives."

The latest move comes weeks after the company ordered 90-day furloughs for hundreds of full-time and part-time employees, including more than 30 at iHeartMedia Chicago.

The iHeartMedia cluster here includes urban contemporary WGCI 107.5-FM, urban adult-contemporary WVAZ 102.7-FM, Top 40 WKSC 103.5-FM, adult contemporary WLIT 93.9-FM, country WEBG 95.5-FM, and gospel WGRB 1390-AM.

Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.