Steve Czaban Was Abruptly Removed From 97.3 'The Game' — Here’s What Happened

The entertainment industry is changing, and not necessarily for the better. With these shifts come widespread layoffs and reduced workloads. Movies now barely survive in theaters before landing on streaming platforms, and stars like Taylor Swift are allegedly turning to AI for video editing.

Radio isn’t safe either. iHeartMedia has been imposing many layoffs recently, just months after news outlets and other radio stations let go of key commentators.

Among those affected by this turning point in entertainment is 97.3 The Game’s Steve Czaban.

On Oct. 8, 2025, the network replaced The Game slot with No BS with Bill Schmid and Armen Saryan. While they’re great hosts, listeners were expecting Czaban, but he’s apparently no longer with the station. So, what happened?

iHeartMedia, the parent company of 97.3 The Game (based in Milwaukee), began rolling out rounds of layoffs in early October 2025, and Steve Czaban was among those affected by the cuts.

Steve was let go as of Oct. 8, 2025, though the company and station provided no warning or explanation to listeners. Instead, the network simply replaced 97.3 The Game’s Wednesday morning timeslot with No BS, according to Barrett Media.

Naturally, listeners were confused when they tuned in early that morning and didn’t hear Czaban or Brian Butch, who had joined him on the show in 2024. Not only did iHeartMedia make no announcement about Czaban and Butch’s show being cut, but the 97.3 The Game website was also removed from iHeartRadio’s site, and Czaban’s bio page had already disappeared.

What seems to confirm Czaban’s layoff is a comment he posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Oct. 8, the first day his show went off air.

He wrote, “Hey @Brian_Butch ... I'mma have some time for that @Peloton now,” to which Butch replied, “Great, I’m available for a 3-hour ride this morning.”

Clearly, both men had time on their hands and were subtly hinting to fans that they were no longer on the show.

Czaban had been on 97.3 The Game since 2019, joining just a few months after the station transitioned from music to sports. While he hasn’t shared what’s next, considering his track record, which includes hosting programs for Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports Radio, and ESPN Radio, fans are confident he’ll “bounce back” in no time from this layoff.

While fans were undoubtedly saddened to learn that Czaban was X’ed from 97.3 The Game (and now know he won’t be returning), he’s not the only one affected by the layoffs. According to Barrett Media, Clay Roe, who served as the imaging director at KFI AM640 in Los Angeles, was also cut after being with the station since 1999, talk about a gut punch!

The Rise & Grind Morning Show at Power 99 in Philadelphia has also been removed from the lineup, and Judi Diamond has left her role at 103.3 KLOU in St. Louis.

Sadly, the cuts don’t stop there, and these are likely far from the last.