Audacy has announced the hiring of Dave LaBrozzi as Brand Manager of KDKA News Radio (KDKA-AM/100.1 FM) in Pittsburgh. LaBrozzi will oversee the content strategy, talent, operations and branding for the radio station starting November 29th.

“I am thrilled to be back in my favorite city and second home,” said LaBrozzi. “I consider it an honor to lead KDKA, a true legend in the industry. Thank you to Michael Spacciapolli for the opportunity to return to the city I love and lead an amazing group of talent on such a legendary station.”

LaBrozzi has nearly four decades of experience in radio, and most recently served as Vice President of Programming for WABC Radio in New York City. Prior to guiding WABC, he was Program Director of WPLJ-FM. In addition to his stint in New York, Dave spent 14 years working as the Vice President of Programming for CBS Radio’s Baltimore stations. His professional experience also includes programming stops in Nashville, Austin, San Antonio and Pittsburgh.

Labrozzi takes over a highly respected and successful brand, which had previously been managed by Jim Graci. Graci left the station in mid-August. He also had programmed 93.7 The Fan, the market’s leading sports brand, which will now be managed by Kraig Riley who received an internal promotion.

“As both KDKA and The Fan continue to evolve into full multi-platform operations serving our listeners in new ways every day it is clear that both stations need focused leadership,” said Michael Spacciapolli, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Pittsburgh. “The addition of Dave and promotion of Kraig will help us continue that evolution. There is an expectation of excellence at both stations from the city of Pittsburgh that I have no doubt Dave and Kraig will continue to build on every day.”

NPR is mourning the loss of its Culture desk books editor as Petra Mayer died at 46. The media outlet’s senior vice president for news, Nancy Barnes, announced Mayer’s death in an email to their staff. 

Barnes says the former books editor died abruptly at Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland of what’s considered to be a pulmonary embolism. 

“Petra was NPR through and through,” Barnes wrote. “To say that Petra will be missed simply seems inadequate.”

Before becoming the books editor, Mayer was an associate producer and director on the weekends for “All Things Considered,” the radio network’s flagship news program. 

“This is a heartbreaking loss for all of us at NPR, our member stations, and the millions of listeners in the public radio family,” an NPR statement said. “Petra’s passion for her work, her love for her colleagues, and her joy sharing books with public radio listeners have made a lasting impact.”

Mayer’s NPR colleagues stated that they’d remember her for the smarts she displayed, sarcastic humor, and loyalty.

“She is like the keeper of a certain wonderfulness of NPR,” Rose Friedman, a books and culture editor, said. “She is the spirit of the place.” 

The man accusing CNN’s Don Lemon of assaulting him at a bar in the Hamptons in 2018, appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM last week. 

During the alleged incident, Dustin Hice said Lemon put his hand down his own pants, and then place his hand in Hice’s face minutes after he offered to buy Lemon a drink. 

“Anybody that acts like that in public without any fear of what it might do to somebody or the consequences it might have, that’s a pattern,” Hice said. 

According to Newsweek, Lemon’s legal sent a letter to Kelly criticizing her for conducting a “lopsided and inaccurate” interview with Hice. 

The letter claims Kelly allowed Hice to make “false and misleading” statements about Lemon that were “unchallenged.”

During last week’s interview, Hice added that Lemon’s status as a television star may make it hard to hold him accountable. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Hice added. “He’s protected by the fact that he’s African American, gay man on television and I’m just some nobody.”

Lemon’s legal team seeks text messages between the pair that may help shed light on exactly what happened during the alleged encounter.