KQED, the Bay Area’s largest public-broadcasting station, is expecting to lay off 18 to 25 employees this month, according to an internal email sent out to its staff from the station’s president on Monday afternoon and obtained by Mission Local.
In April, KQED offered buyout programs to workers as a first step toward addressing a budget shortfall. The NPR- and PBS-affiliated radio and TV station had a total revenue of $90.4 million and a total expenses of $100.9 million for the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 2023, leaving a gap of $10.5 million, according to its community report.
Peter Cavagnaro, KQED’s director of communications, confirmed the layoff of 18 to 25 staffers. “We’re continuing to assess the impact of the response to the voluntary departure offers on our budget,” Cavagnaro said in a statement.
So far, four employees have said yes to the early retirement programs, which are offered to people 55 and older who have been with the company for at least 10 continuous years, according to the email. KQED has also approved five employees’ requests for voluntary departure packages.
“Our goal is to minimize the impact on our service to the community, our audiences and our staff,” wrote Michael Isip, the station’s president, in the email. “Budget reductions will consist of a range of cuts across the organization, including layoffs.”
The newsletter The Squeeze was first to report on the layoffs. Mission Local obtained the email independently.
In 2020, KQED laid off 20 employees, representing 5.5 percent of its workforce, aiming to address a $7.1 million budget gap. In the following year, the station moved into its new $94 million headquarters building in the Mission District at 2601 Mariposa St.
Details on the budget reductions, including layoffs, will be provided by the end of the month with the next update on May 23 during an all-staff meeting.
Yesterday there was a story on All Things Considered about Spain/Norway/Ireland recognition of Palestinian statehood. But the only commentary about this was to interview an Israeli lobbyist based on Spain, say this voice represented “Jewish people in Spain.”
It was yet another reminder that KQED and NPR have a HUGE relevance problem. Young people who consume news are increasingly anti-neoliberalism/capitalism/imperialism. With the US/Israel genocide of Palestinians becoming the primary measuring stick by which young consumers of news gauge credibility, young listeners are abandoning KQED and NPR even faster.
actually, KQED didn’t “move” into a new building at 2601 mariposa, but renovated the building it had been in for about 25 years. doesn’t change the story, but nice to get the details right.