Salt Lake City’s two major public broadcasting entities — NPR affiliate KUER and PBS Utah — are laying off eight employees, in the wake of the elimination of the national organization that supports public media.
Five more employees are retiring early, KUER posted on its website Friday.
The layoffs and retirements make up 10% of the combined staffs of the two media outlets, which are both affiliated with the University of Utah, KUER reported.
In a statement, Maria O’Mara, executive director of both outlets, said no additional layoffs were planned. The employees who lost their jobs were informed Thursday, KUER reported, while those staying on were told of the cuts Friday.
The layoffs come nearly six months after Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in funds approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The corporation’s board voted earlier this month to dissolve the organization, which was founded in 1968 and was giving funds to more than 1,500 public TV and radio outlets nationwide.
When the federal funding was eliminated in July, Gov. Spencer Cox said he was worried that “these cuts won’t do what some members of Congress think they will do.”
At a news conference hosted by PBS Utah, Cox told reporters at the time that he thought national public broadcasting and radio stations would likely continue their programming, while local affiliates — like “PBS Utah, who are doing great things and great programs like this” — would take the brunt of cuts. “These are the things that will fall away,” he added.
O’Mara said Friday that the loss of CPB money hurt KUER and PBS Utah’s finances. Donations had increased to both stations in the last six months, she said, but a $3 million revenue gap remains. That represents around 7% or 8% of KUER’s budget, and about 15% of PBS Utah’s budget, KUER reported.
In a memo to PBS Utah staff, O’Mara said changes to the TV station’s programming would be announced in the next few weeks. She wrote that the loss of federal funding “would likely diminish” the station’s programming and services at PBS Utah, also known as KUED, Ch. 7.
In a separate memo to KUER staff, O’Mara said there would be no changes to the radio station’s programming, though “many of you will have to pick up extra duties.”
“Some of you have lost a part of your team,” O’Mara added. “All of us have lost valued colleagues.”