Winnie Akoury From Kiss 108 Is No Longer With the Station, but What Happened?

Although music streaming and podcasts have made the radio less of a one-stop shop, there are still plenty of people who listen to it religiously. And, because radio hosts can become a part of your routine, it's sometimes a little bit heartbreaking to learn that one of them has left.

That's exactly what radio fans in Boston are dealing with in mid-October following the news that Winnie Akoury, one of the hosts and producers on "BIlly and Lisa in the Morning" for Kiss 108 is no longer with the station. Naturally, many wanted to know what happened. Here's what we know.

The co-hosts of "Billy & Lisa in the Morning" addressed Winnie's absence on Oct. 14, saying that she was let go as part of nationwide layoffs that iHeartMedia made.

“There were big changes nationally within this company,” said Billy Costa, per The Boston Globe. “You may have noticed that Winnie has not been a voice on the show this morning. ... It happened overnight. We didn’t see anything coming.”

Billy said that he learned that Winnie was leaving while he was vacationing in Africa. Winnie has been a co-host on the show since 2022 alongside Billy, Lisa Donovan, and Justin Aguirre.

According to Radio World, iHeartMedia began downsizing its broadcast division last week with layoffs across the country. These layoffs covered everyone from producers to on-air talent and hit cities across the country.

“We’re still trying to adjust to it. But Winnie is not with us. And if you’re listening, Winnie, we already miss you, and you are extremely talented, and I’m sure you’re going to land on your feet in a very big way,” Billy added.

Winnie also put out a video on Instagram in which she addressed the layoffs, and the challenging years she's had. In the video, Winnie says that she spent her "entire adult life" with the station after starting there as an intern.

She also said that her father had been diagnosed with cancer, and that she dealt with a debilitating bout of shingles. "If I had to go through something else this year, I'm glad it was losing my job and not losing my dad," she said.

"This isn't goodbye," she added. "I'm preparing to make a comeback, better than ever."

She didn't offer any details about what that comeback might look like.

Billy wasn't the only one blindsided by the news that Winnie would no longer be with the show. Its daily listeners were also confused, and many were also upset.

"I've listened from across the country for years, and recently Winnie was the on air presence I most looked forward to. I don't dislike the others, but I myself find Justin a bit tedious, and Billy and Lisa seem increasingly to be just ordered to talk about iHeart talking points. I won't be listening anymore," one person wrote on Reddit.