Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media have eliminated 28 positions and cancelled Live From Here and the podcast The Hilarious World of Depression in a round of financial cuts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a memo to listeners and members, CEO Jon McTaggart wrote, “Like all our media peers, over the past few months, some of our revenue sources have dramatically and simultaneously declined, particularly from regional and national underwriting, corporate sponsorship, national program distribution, ticketed events, custom travel, financial investments and other earned income.”
Beyond the 28 layoffs, MPR is cutting executive pay by 20% to 35%, implementing voluntary separations and furloughs, cancelling FY21 merit pay increases for all employees, combining some departments and teams, selectively reducing work hours and making changes to internal operating systems to reduce costs.
Live From Here hosted by musician Chris Thile was the replacement program for A Prairie Home Companion. Thile replaced Garrison Keillor on APHC when he retired from the show in July 2016 and it was renamed as Live From Here in November 2017 after MPR dropped all ties to Keillor. The program was taped in front of an audience at Town Hall in New York.
Bring Me The News reports that among the staffers leaving are multimedia producer Nate Ryan and podcast producer Jeyca Maldonado.
And again I say AHOY!!! This message is for anyone out there who has made @livefromhereapm a regular part of their listening lives. [thread] pic.twitter.com/uBilynyale
— Chris Thile (@christhile) June 16, 2020
American Public Media has ended production of The Hilarious World of Depression podcast. I have been laid off. I am unemployed. I don't know what the future will be.
I thank them for giving me the opportunity to make the show happen in the first place. It's a hard day.— John Moe (@johnmoe) June 16, 2020
Dear Members and Listeners,
For more than half-a-century, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) has been enriching minds, nourishing spirits, expanding perspectives, and assisting our audiences in strengthening communities. Today, when so many communities are fractured, frustrated and anxious, our public services are needed, now, more than ever. And our commitment to serving you has never been stronger.
As a result of the widespread economic turmoil and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, MPR and American Public Media (APM) are facing a large and unexpected financial challenge.
Like all our media peers, over the past few months, some of our revenue sources have dramatically and simultaneously declined, particularly from regional and national underwriting, corporate sponsorship, national program distribution, ticketed events, custom travel, financial investments and other earned income. While recent MPR and APM member drives and emergency fundraising efforts have been successful, with gifts from our Board and other donors, the generosity of our valued contributors is unfortunately not enough to offset the rapid loss of revenue we are experiencing.
Our public service mission compels us to inform, inspire and serve our audiences. That is our enduring promise, and it motivates every decision we make. We’ve carefully weighed all our options to ensure that the programming, staffing and operational changes we’re making are sustainable, and will help to make our most important services even stronger and more relevant.
As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our staff by 28 people. In addition to our previous actions including cutting executive pay by 20% to 35%, and implementing voluntary separations and furloughs, we are cancelling FY21 merit pay increases for all employees, combining some departments and teams, selectively reducing work hours and making changes to internal operating systems to reduce costs.
We are also ending a podcast – The Hilarious World of Depression – and we will end national production of Live from Here.
As we worked to address the financial challenges, we set clear principles for our decision-making. We sought to ensure that every change: 1) is aligned with our mission, values and long-term vision; 2) demonstrates our care and stewardship with all our resources; 3) protects our core strengths; 4) accelerates innovation to invest in our future; and, 5) prioritizes investments that build our potential for greater public service.
In making these changes, we are focusing our resources on the programming and services you value most. We will find new ways to give you more control over when and how you listen, and greater access to our content on your favorite media devices. We’ll offer fresh, distinctive programming that deepens our value to you and attracts new audiences. We will double-down on trusted, in-depth information that engages and equips you to make informed decisions about your health, the economy and our democracy. And we will invest in understanding and addressing the systemic issues of racism and inequities further exposed by the killing of George Floyd.
We are proud to be your trusted source for fact-based and reliable news, compelling stories of human connection and inspiring music that lifts your spirits when you need it most. Thank you for listening, and for your vital support.
Jon McTaggart
CEO
