New York Public Radio Is The Latest Media Group To Cut Staff

New York Public Radio said it plans to lay off around 12% of its staff – about 40 people – according to an internal note reported by The New York Times Tuesday.

The broadcaster, which owns radio stations WNYC, WQXR and the New York City-oriented website Gothamist, is following the lead of many media companies that have made cuts to their workforce this year. National Public Radio and Barstool Sports let go 10% and 25% of their staffs respectively, and National Geographic laid off all its staff writers.

LaFontaine Oliver, president and CEO at NYPR, cited a "free fall in the advertising market" for the cuts in his note to the staff, the Times said. He added that the company will not fill many of the positions it had open, the Times added.

“Knowing [that] macroeconomic factors have led to this moment doesn’t soften the blow when national trends land on your own doorstep,” Oliver told the Times, acknowledging that “this news is hard to hear.”

The company has not yet notified staff about who will be laid off, but said it would attempt to protect its journalism and music offerings, the Times said. WQXR is primarily classical music station.

“The NYPR union is still fighting to save the jobs of as many valued colleagues as possible,” the media group's union shared on its Twitter account Wednesday, adding “layoffs are not the only – or smartest – way to handle financial shortfalls.” 

The union added that “while we wish NYPR management came to us to discuss alternatives sooner, there is still an opportunity to minimize these painful cuts.” 

Another nonprofit news outlet, The City, a New York-based digital news site focuses on the city, last week reached a plan with its employees to cut their hours by 20% to avoid layoffs, due to a $1.5 million drop in funding this year, Semafor reported. The reduction in hours allows employees to apply for state unemployment.

NYPR did not immediately respond to The Messenger's request for comment.