WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The mass exodus of WLFI on-air personalities has become a growing topic of local discussion in social media posts.

TV18 is owned by Allen Media Group, which made headlines this year for its round of layoffs, according to several national news outlets.

In front of the camera in recent weeks, WLFI has said goodbye to anchors Jeff Smith, Marlee Thomas and Joe Paul, reporter Vinny Mortorano and sports reporters Brianna Shackelford and Kelly Hallinan. Meteorologist David Siple posted on Facebook Monday that his last day was Friday, leaving Chad Evans and Eric Segbor in the station’s weather department.

Remaining on-air news reporters include Ella Chew, Stacy Schooler, Francisca Wood and Madison Kopp, and the sportscaster slot includes Hadassah Harris, according to recent broadcasts.

This year’s exodus included people who were neither on camera nor involved in the newsgathering effort, according to a former WLFI employee who spoke to the Journal & Courier on condition of not being named.

“The station tried to do a good job,” said the former employee. “This has nothing to do with WLFI. It’s way over their heads.”

The Journal & Courier left voicemails for Gary Yoder, WLFI’s vice president and general manager, and Steve Clark, the station’s head of creative services, seeking comment on the thinning positions at the television station. Nobody returned the call.

The Journal & Courier also emailed a spokesman for Allen Media Group seeking comment. Allen Media Group did not respond.

More: Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group is embarking on another round of employee layoffs

More: Frequent media bidder Byron Allen is stirring up trouble with late payments to ABC, CBS and NBC

More: Allen Media Group plans further cuts

“Allen Media is basically losing a lot of money,” the former employee said. “Everything that happens to WLFI happens to Allen Media companies across the country. People wanted out before they got cut.”

Some people left because their contracts expired and were not renewed.

“For some people, it wasn’t their decision to leave,” the former employee said. “Some people just wanted out.”

WLFI is one of four Allen Media Group stations in Indiana. Others include Evansville’s CBS and Fox affiliates, WFFT Fox in Fort Wayne and WTHI in Terre Haute.

According to a report in the January 2024 Radio+Television Business Report, Allen Media Group purchased TV18 in 2019. The company owns 21 stations in the U.S. market and 12 24-hour subscriber networks, including The Weather Channel.

Reach Ron Wilkins at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared in the Lafayette Journal & Courier: WLFI faces exodus of on-air personalities; Sender has no comment