Indiana’s WNIN cuts five positions, drops TV shows

WNIN Tri-State Public Media in Evansville, Ind., announced Wednesday that it is eliminating five staff positions.

“Unfortunately, with the loss of state and federal funding, there is no way around the need for significant budget reductions,” said CEO Tim Black in a news release. “It is a sad but unavoidable situation for our dedicated team, and the loss will affect operations throughout the organization.”

Employees at the dual licensee were notified of the cuts Monday. The workers being laid off work in the station’s television, digital and member services departments, Black said in an email to Current. Their last day at the station was Monday. Some remaining employees “will be reorganized and take on additional responsibilities within individual departments,” according to the news release.

WNIN had 26 employees before the layoffs, Black told Current. The station will also not fill a full-time position in member services.

No programming or on-air staffing changes are planned for WNIN’s radio operations, but the station will drop 15 weekend television shows focusing on lifestyle content such as sewing, health and gardening.

Public-affairs programs Newsmakers, Shively & Shoulders and Two Main Street with David James will continue but “with a focus on digital distribution,” according to the news release.

The announcement follows the vote in Congress to rescind fiscal year 2026 and 2027 federal funding to CPB. Indiana lawmakers also zeroed out funding to public media stations in April.

In FY24, WNIN received almost $950,000 in Community Service Grants from CPB for television and radio, according to CPB’s website. That accounted for about 35% of the organization’s total revenue of almost $2.7 million that year, according to an audited financial statement.

WNIN was also set to receive $161,841 from the Next Generation Warning System program, previously managed by CPB, until the Federal Emergency Management Agency retracted the funding.

From April through August, local donors gave $345,000 to the station, twice the donor revenue earned during the same period last year. The new donations helped WNIN avoid shifting more money from reserves to its general operating account, according to the release.

The station plans to form a local task force of business and community leaders to advise it on changing its programs and services and planning for a future without consistent federal funding.

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