PBS North Carolina Responds After CPB Federal Funding Cuts

On Tuesday, PBS North Carolina announced that due to the recent $9 million cuts in federal funding, they are offering voluntary separation offers to employees.

The offer applies to most permanent employees through PBS NC. Their new Reorganization Through Reduction (RTR) is part of cost-cutting measures to help minimize the amount of involuntary staff reductions.

David Crabtree, CEO of PBS North Carolina said in a statement, “We did not create this—it was dictated by Congress. Nonetheless, we will play the hand we’re dealt and pledge to continue to be good stewards of our budgets.”

Related: NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts to Continue Despite CPB Shutdown

A recession bill, passed in Congress this past July, approved federal funding cuts for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, forcing CPB to cut back and eventually shut down on operations. For PBS NC, this could cause a loss of nearly $4.8 million annually, which are funds used to provide educational programming and emergency communications infrastructure.

In addition to the RTR program, PBS NC is enacting cost-saving measures, such as a reduction in non-personal expenses and a staff hiring freeze. Their goal thus far is to continue streamlining operations, strengthening core services, and ensuring financial sustainability.

“While this is a time of fundamental change for public media, it reminds us of our deep roots in the communities we serve,” Crabtree added. “PBS North Carolina, then WUNC-TV, began in 1955, twelve years before the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Today, PBS North Carolina still belongs to the people of this state, and our commitment is unwavering.”

PBS NC To Give ‘Voluntary Separation Offers’ Amid Federal Funding Cuts  was originally published on foxync.com