With Hot 97 dropping Ebro and his morning show, Funkmaster Flex has unexpectedly thrust himself into the spotlight.
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Funkmaster Flex has taken over control of the Hot 97 morning show in New York City to stabilize the station following the abrupt cancellation of the Ebro morning show.
The radio veteran will fill the coveted weekday vacancy at WQHT as the station restructures starting Monday, December 15. Hot 97 owner MediaCo confirmed to Radio Ink that Flex will handle morning duties “until further notice”.
Flex’s move follows the jarring end of Ebro in the Morning, which ended without warning after airing on December 12.
Ebro Darden, Laura Stylez and Peter Rosenberg all confirmed that the long-running show, which had been a mainstay of the station since 2012, has ended. The decision shocked listeners and industry observers.
For Flex, the transition marks the next chapter in a three-year relationship with Hot 97. After years of dominating the evenings, he recently moved to the 5pm-10pm slot in September.
The ripple effects extend beyond Hot 97.
Audacy-owned 94.7 The Block also canceled its morning lineup on the same day, quietly removing Miss Jones and Ed Lover from its website.
The timing sparked rumors that Miss Jones might return to Hot 97, where she first built her broadcasting career.
To keep the brand alive outside of traditional radio, “Ebro in the Morning” has not been moved to YouTube. Syndicator Superadio also confirmed that it remains in business with Darden, Stylez and Rosenberg on new projects currently in development.
