Andre Gardner leaves 102.9 WMGK due to layoffs at Beasley Media Group

After two decades on Philadelphia's airwaves, longtime 102.9 WMGK afternoon host Andre Gardner has been fired from the station.

Gardner announced via social media that Friday would be his last day at the station and said he had been informed his position had been eliminated. A representative for Beasley Media Group confirmed that Gardner “will be leaving the station.”

“We are grateful for his contributions over the years at WMGK and wish him well,” said Beasley’s chief communications officer Heidi Raphael.

In his social media message announcing his resignation, Gardner cited challenges facing the radio business, including declining advertising revenue and the continued shift to digital platforms. Because of these challenges, Gardner said, companies like Beasley have had to make “some difficult strategic decisions.”

Gardner also discussed his departure Friday afternoon on his final show on WMGK. The early part of Gardner's setlist included tracks like Genesis' “That's All” and Aerosmith's “What It Takes,” which he said “just popped up randomly.”

In both his statement and on the broadcast, Gardner thanked market manager Paul Blake and program director Eric Johnson, saying the pair gave him “the chance to say goodbye to listeners.” In his statement, Gardner called the opportunity “a true rarity in this business.”

“We’ll be playing our music as usual,” Gardner said of the final show.

Gardner indicated on social media that he wasn't sure what was next for him and that he couldn't say what would happen at WMGK's afternoon drive.

Gardner's departure from WMGK brings to an end a 22-year career at the station that began in 2002. Gardner has spent nearly five decades in radio, starting as a teenager at Trenton's 94.5 WPST in 1977.

He then served as an on-air host at a number of Philadelphia area stations, including WZZD, WIFI and WYSP. Gardner is also known as the host of the weekly, successful Sunday show “Breakfast with the Beatles,” which ended in 2022.

Gardner's firing comes just months after the announcement that he would be inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia's 2024 Hall of Fame Class. A ceremony to celebrate Gardner and the other inductees is planned for November 22nd.

In May, Beasley implemented another round of cuts, this time impacting 97.5 The Fanatic and other stations across the country. As part of the cuts, on-air personalities Jen Scordo and Pat Egan and an unspecified number of other behind-the-scenes employees were laid off, The Inquirer reported.

In a statement in May, Beasley said the company was “realigning its core business activities to reflect current economic conditions.”

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for spending time with me and being on the other end of the speaker or earpiece,” Gardner said on social media Friday. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”