Illinois Public Media is laying off two staff members due to federal funding cuts to public broadcasting.
IPM Executive Director Moss Bresnahan sent an email to staff sharing the news Wednesday afternoon.
He said in order to ensure the station’s “long-term financial stability,” two full-time employee positions are being eliminated. Additionally, three other vacancies that arose from retirements and staff departures — in marketing, news and administration — will remain unfilled.
“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.”
The announcement did not name the staff members affected by layoffs.
In response to a request for additional information, Bresnahan said the eliminated roles fall under administration and digital operations.
Bresnahan said at this time, he does not anticipate the station will need additional staff layoffs.
IPM had expected to receive around $1.5 million for the next fiscal year, an amount appropriated by Congress through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which serves as a conduit for federal funds to NPR and PBS stations.
In July, Congress narrowly approved a request from President Trump to rescind that funding.
Bresnahan said the station had taken steps across the board to reduce expenses. That includes pausing or reducing work for many of its hourly and student employees.
He said the two staff members being laid off “are in the process of being placed elsewhere on the University of Illinois campus.”
CPB announced it will eliminate the majority of its staff positions by the end of September and retain a small team until January. Many public media stations like IPM will continue their work without federal funding.
Editor’s Note: No member of upper management or any news executive reviewed this story under IPM’s internal reporting guidelines.