New York Public Radio is cutting about 12% of its staff due to “economic headwinds on multiple fronts,” CEO LaFontaine Oliver told staff in an email Tuesday.
Approximately 40 staff will be affected, a spokesperson told Current.
“Beyond our immediate fiscal challenges, what guided our strategic assessment is the necessity for long-term financial sustainability; a commitment to protecting the multiplatform journalism, cultural and music service we provide to our community; and a focus on where we can be most impactful going forward,” Oliver wrote.
Oliver wrote that the organization has seen a “sharp reduction in sponsorship revenue” and a “membership revenue dip from the pandemic bump.” In addition to the staff cuts, “the majority” of NYPR’s open positions will be eliminated, he said.
Since December, the organization has implemented cost-cutting measures, including freezing all hiring, canceling its fiscal year 2024 internship program, eliminating senior leadership bonuses for the year and suspending its spring promotions cycle, he said. “But as we feared, these steps have not been enough,” he said.
Oliver did not specify which departments would be affected by the cuts but added that he will “communicate with affected team members and the broader organization by the end of next week.”
Update: This post has been updated with an estimate of the number of staff whose jobs will be affected.