Altoona’s Bithell laid off

Dave Bithell, news anchor at Hollidaysburg-licensed WRKY-FM (104.9) and its sister stations at Forever Broadcasting, is the latest casualty of the company’s budget cuts.

The 39-year local radio veteran was fired by “Rocky 104.9” last week for “budgetary reasons,” according to the Altoona Mirror.

Former WFBG talk-show host Steve Clark, who was laid off in January, calls Bithell a victim of the consolidation of Johnstown, Altoona and State College radio stations into the hands of Forever and its affiliates.

“If you work in radio in this area, there are two companies that own all of the stations — the [Dave] Barger group and Forever,” Clark tells the Mirror. “It’s not like the old days when, if you would lose a job, you could jump around. If you lose a job, the only way to stay in radio is to leave town. There is nobody else.”