May 08, 2025
Provided Image/Beasley Media Group
Longtime 'Preston & Steve' co-host Kathy Romano is departing from WMMR after 22 years. Parent company Beasley Media Group said it did not renew Romano's contract and her final day with the show will be Friday.
Kathy Romano, the longtime co-host of the "Preston & Steve" show on 93.3 WMMR, is leaving the station after 22 years as part of a recent wave of cuts at parent company Beasley Media Group.
Romano announced her departure during Thursday morning's show and posted a statement on Instagram addressing her exit.
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"This was in no way my choice or Preston & Steve's choice," Romano wrote. "We are devastated. It's been the ride of a lifetime sharing mornings with the best team and the most incredible listeners."
In addition to her duties on "Preston & Steve," Romano hosted her own weekly show focused on highlighting women in the Philadelphia region.
Beasley Media Group, which owns WMMR and six other radio stations in the Philadelphia area, said the company did not renew Romano's contract.
"We are very grateful for her many contributions over the years and wish Kathy the very best in her next chapter," the company said in a statement.
"Preston & Steve," which began in 1998 on the former Y100, moved to WMMR in 2005 and has consistently been the top-rated morning radio show in Philadelphia. Hosts Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison signed contract extensions in 2022 that will keep them at WMMR through 2030. The variety show's other co-hosts — Casey Fosbenner, Marisa Magnatta and Nick McIlwain — will remain on the broadcast.
Beasley Media Group parted ways last month with 97.5 The Fanatic afternoon host Tyrone Johnson and has shed other local talent from the station over the last two years, including hosts Jen Scordo, Pat Egan and Hunter Brody. At 102.9 WMGK, longtime host Andre Gardner was laid off from the classic rock station in October after a 22-year run.
Last week, more Beasley layoffs hit the company's stations in Detroit and Tampa.
The broader radio industry has been hit hard by declines in its traditional broadcast advertising, a core revenue source that has shifted heavily to more targeted digital ads as listeners favor streaming shows. In its first quarter earnings call, the company said it has seen strong growth in its digital segment but reported a total net revenue loss of about $2.7 million.
Friday will be Romano's last day on "Preston & Steve."
