PBS Michiana – WNIT has laid off five full-time employees and reduced hours for two others after losing about a third of its annual budget in state and federal funding cuts.
Amanda Miller Kelley, the station’s president and general manager, said the financial hit came quickly.
“In the amount of time that I have been president and general manager, we have lost one third of our budget. That $1.3 million is one third of our budget,” she said.
Kelley said the decision to reduce staff was not related to performance.
“It was entirely due to the funding cuts. They had nothing to do with the talent or the dedication or the commitment or the creativity of these employees,” she said.
Despite the cuts, Kelley said the station will continue operating and airing programming.
“We still have a future. We are still here… We will still be airing all your favorites. We will still be here, telling community stories and lifting up community voices,” she said.
She also emphasized that while the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down, WNIT and PBS remain open.
“While CPB is closing its doors, PBS isn’t. And PBS Michiana at WNIT absolutely is not. Our doors aren’t closing, we are not going off the air,” Kelley said.
Kelley said WNIT plans to rely more heavily on community support, including memberships and donations, to help close the funding gap.
