Illinois Public Media lays off two employees, cuts open positions

Illinois Public Media in Urbana laid off two full-time employees and will not fill three vacant positions.

IPM Executive Director Moss Bresnahan informed staff about the downsizing in an email Wednesday, according to coverage produced by the station’s newsroom. He said the job cuts ensure the station’s “long-term financial stability.”

IPM, which operates one public TV and three radio stations, is licensed to the University of Illinois.

The two full-time employees who are being laid off “are in the process of being placed elsewhere on the University of Illinois campus,” Bresnahan said. Bresnahan said their IPM jobs fall under administration and digital operations.

The three vacancies were created by retirements and staff departures in the marketing, news and administration departments. IPM is also pausing or reducing work for many of its hourly and student employees.

“Saying goodbye to valued colleagues is not a decision we take lightly,” Bresnahan wrote. “However, the unexpected loss of such a substantial portion of our annual budget has required us to make difficult decisions in a short amount of time. I fully recognize the personal and professional impact these changes have on you.”

Prior to the job cuts, IPM employed about 50 full-time and 20 part-time employees, according to a spokesperson. Most of the part-time workers were students.

The downsizing responds to the rescission of CPB’s federal funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The corporation is winding down operations to minimum staffing Sept. 30.

In FY24, the dual licensee received about $1.4 million in federal funding, according to CPB’s website. Those funds provided about 15% of its nearly $9.1 million in total revenues for that year, according to an audited financial statement.

Since July, more than 20 public media organizations have publicly announced layoffs tied to the rescission of CPB funding.