Clear Channel Pulls Plug on Two More: WNIC's Renee Vitale And WKQI's Nick Craig

Clear Channel's local alumni club has two more involuntary members.

The broadcast chain on Monday dismissed Renee Vitale, a morning co-host at WNIC-FM (100.3), and Nick Craig, afternoon drive-time host at WKQI-FM (95.5), Free Press entertainment columnist B.J. Hammerstein writes.

"This is the reality of the industry, the part that is really hard," Vitale tells him. 

The sudden firing surprised Craig, according to Hammerstein, who quotes him as saying:

"It's definitely not the fun part of the business, but you see it happen regularly," said Craig, who also served as WKQI's assistant program director and music director. 

He and Vitale are Metro Detroit natives who graduated from Specs Howard School of Media Arts in Southfied.

Clear Channel owns seven FM and AM stations in Metro. Other dismissals in recent months affected these employees:

Frankie Darcell, WMXD afternoon host 

Jon Jag Gray, WKQI midday host 

Jenna Cork and Dan Watkins, WNIC morning show producers 

Danielle Car, WNIC's weekend and swing-shift on-air personality