Layoffs at NPR

[John Tynan]

Someone has to start this thread.

In addition to unofficial reports on Facebook and in personal emails, I read this on mediabistro.com NPR's Trimmed Sails and the Future: The Official Announcement and this at LAObserved.com 'Day to Day' gets the word today. On current.org: Job and spending cuts extend across NPR. On NPR.org: NPR Announces Cuts To Staff, Programs

Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues at this time.

[Jessica]

I'm interested in allegations that there is much anger among the staff at NPR for the millions that are spent developing NPR.ORG. According to these reports a profitable model hasn't been developed for NPR.ORG but the company devotes enormous resources to it.

[Matt Fleeger]

I just listened to the Folkenflik stories at NPR.com. Apparently, while listenership is up (way up, apparently) corporate donations through Underwriting, etc. are way down. No surprise there.

Perhaps now is a good time (with the e-verify and infinite mind scandals) for NPR and all other public radio stations to begin weaning themselves from relying on Corporate funding to such a large degree. Maybe it's time to concentrate on new ways to make membership stronger (this is a whole new thread).

Just looking for the silver lining in all of this. Some really talented folks (and personal heros) have lost their jobs. Terrible.

[Julia Barton]

Add to it all of us who are losing our jobs at APM.

This blog post gave me some perspective. We need a better model for sustainable broadcasting than this boom and bust cycle of enticing and then betraying audiences.

http://radiosutton.blogspot.com/2008/12/big-subsidies-required.html...