What happened to Johnny Dare? Layoffs explored in wake of plug being pulled on popular radio host's 32-year-old show

As part of American broadcasting company Audacy's round of layoffs, the Johnny Dare Morning Show will conclude its 32-year run in the mornings at 98.9 FM The Rock KQRC Kansas City on Friday, March 7, 2025.

Since 1993, months after the station's Rock format launch, radio host Johnny Dare had been the morning anchor at KQRC. However, he was recently laid off on March 6, 2025.

Co-hosts and producers Nycki Pace, Gregg Todt, Jake, and Kyle Kurtz are also leaving with Dare. On March 6, Dare announced the news to the world through Facebook.

“No one is more surprised than us that it lasted this long but after 32 years, we got smoked. Tomorrow will be the final morning show for us on the Rock.. join Nycki, Gregg, Jake, Kyle and I tomorrow morning starting at 6am for one final show,” he wrote.

The decision was taken by the parent company Audacy because of budget constraints.

"Audacy has made workforce reductions to ensure a strong and resilient future for the business," a spokesperson said, as per Kansas City's report from the same day.

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Johnny Dare has been laid off due to budget cuts

Since its 1993 debut on KQRC, The Johnny Dare and Murphy Morning Show has continuously led the ratings for its time slot due to its rapid rise in popularity. Nycki Pace, Kyle, Jake the Phone Snake, Gregg, and Dare are currently featured in the show.

The show’s webpage says:

“For better or worse, The Johnny Dare Morning Show has been waking up Kansas City since 1993. You would think we could find a better show by now! You never know what might happen when Johnny, Jake, Gregg, Kyle, and Nycki fire-up weekdays from 6 till 10am. ”

The program was well-known for its charity endeavors and high ratings. Even though Dare struggled with pancreatic problems in 2021, he resumed broadcasting.

On weekday mornings from 6 to 10 am, Johnny, Jake, Gregg, Kyle, and Nycki have been on the mike. However, the show is finally ending its run after almost three decades. On Thursday, the show announced on Facebook that they will air their final performance on KQRC-FM 98.9 The Rock on Friday, March 7, at 6 am.

Nevertheless, it wasn't the first program to declare its cancellation on Thursday. The Ponch & Nikki show, another long-running radio program in Kansas City, has also been canceled as part of parent firm Audacy's layoffs.

On March 7, they announced on Facebook that they were leaving the station and that they would "have more details soon."

“Thank you all for your support Fam,” the statement read.

The Rock radio schedule continues to feature music during the 6 - 10 am window, which was formerly occupied by The Ponch & Nikki Show.

"Johnny Dare’s dedication to entertaining and informing his listeners has made an indelible mark on our industry, with unmatched ratings success in Kansas City radio.." an Audacy spokesperson said, as per KSHB's March 6 report.

"Outside the studio, his charitable efforts have exemplified radio’s power to unite communities and make a real difference," they continued.

Additionally, as per a Kansas City report from the same day, another spokesperson delivered a statement regarding the incident.

“Audacy has made workforce reductions to ensure a strong and resilient future for the business. We are streamlining resources to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape and to best position Audacy to continue serving listeners and advertisers with excellence,” they stated.

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Meanwhile, following the news, neither the representatives of The Ponch & Nikki show nor Johnny Dare Morning Show said anything about the same or gave out more details.