New York Public Radio has undergone another round of staff and programming cuts as it faces a $12 million budget shortfall.
In total, 8.5% of the network’s staff have been laid off after recently celebrating its 100th anniversary.
In an email to staffers Thursday, President and CEO LaFontaine Oliver blamed declining radio listenership and advertising dollars for the cuts.
“The moment we’re in is requiring us to make fundamental changes so we can remain viable and relevant for years to come,” Oliver wrote.
In a post to social media, host Kerry Nolan revealed that after 32 years, she was part of “the latest bloodbath at New York Public Radio.”
Other cuts include the ending of the Notes from America program hosted by Kai Wright, the ceasing of podcasts produced by WQXR, and the reduction of events scheduled for the outlet’s venue and multimedia production studio “The Greene Space” in Lower Manhattan. In total, 14 staffers were laid off while another 12 took voluntary layoffs.
Reports from Gothamist — the digital arm of New York Public Radio — claim the cuts would save the network around $6 million annually.
