WURD in Philadelphia has eliminated four positions from its ranks as it undergoes a round of cost-cutting measures.
Reality Check host Tonya Pendleton and her producer, Troy Wilmore — who had worked at the station for 18 years — have been let go. Also included in the cuts were a digital writer, Kiara Santos, and digital content producer Kala J. West.
“These are tough times,” Wilmore told The Philadelphia Tribune. “I just want the station to survive.”
In a statement to Axios, WURD CEO and President Sara Lomax said the decision to eliminate staffers was unfortunate but necessary.
“This decision was not made lightly,” she said. “As an independent media radio station, it is imperative that we maintain our ability to give Black Philadelphia a voice and a place to make their voices heard.”
The cuts at WURD come just shy of one year after the station was the subject of a major controversy, when host Andrea Lawful-Sanders admitted to asking questions approved by the Biden White House in an interview with the then-President. The revelation touched off a media firestorm, eventually leading to the host’s departure from the talk station.
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