KQED is laying off 45 employees and cutting 10 open positions, trimming its workforce by 15% amid a $12 million shortfall, the public media outlet announced Tuesday.
President Michael Isip said the layoffs take effect immediately, while 12 more staffers have accepted voluntary buyouts and will depart over the next year. That trims the workforce from 369 to about 312. Ten vacancies will remain unfilled.
The layoffs, the third round in five years, will affect all levels of the company, but three-quarters are concentrated in content-producing departments.
KQED is disbanding its digital video team, ending the Youth Takeover program, eliminating most media literacy workshops, and retaining a core team for the Youth Media Challenge and teacher professional development.
Isip said the cuts will bring the budget shortfall down by approximately 90% but emphasized that fiscal risks remain, including weak corporate sponsorships and foundation grants, as well as potential cuts to federal funding.
KQED’s cuts come amid federal threats to public media funding. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a measure this week that would withdraw $1.1 billion in funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS, NPR, and 1,500 local stations nationwide. The House has already approved the measure.
“Uncertainties still remain around federal funding, and we must remain vigilant and ready to act should unanticipated scenarios arise. But for now, we have stabilized our financial position,” Isip said in an internal email he sent to staff Tuesday, obtained by The Standard.
The nonprofit public broadcaster — which operates San Francisco’s PBS and NPR TV stations, as well as radio and podcasts — will also suspend its 403(b) retirement employer match and will pause salary increases starting Oct. 1. The measures, expected to remain in place until October 2026, and other cost savings are projected to save about $13 million annually, according to the email.
SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents KQED’s broadcast workers, said it is committed to ensuring those affected by the layoffs are “treated fairly and equitably.”
“We remain dedicated to working collaboratively with KQED to serve the people of the Bay Area and Northern California during these challenging times and will continue to prioritize the well-being of our members,” a union spokesperson wrote in an email. “We value our long-standing partnership with KQED and appreciate the station’s transparency.”
Ahead of the staff cuts, KQED offered buyouts to employees until June 20. As part of the voluntary buyout agreement, staff would receive severance equal to two weeks’ pay per year of continuous service, with a minimum payout of eight weeks and a maximum of 24 weeks.
The layoffs are intended to happen at once, rather than through a series of annual cuts, Isip said in a staff meeting.
“Going through significant reductions will be very difficult; however, I also know that getting into an annual cycle of budget reductions is even more detrimental to our overall morale, as well as the confidence, the trust our community has in us to steward this institution,” he said.
KQED previously cut 34 positions in May 2024 amid an $8 million deficit. Those cuts spanned television, radio, digital video, podcasts, and sponsorship and membership teams and included terminating the “Rightnowish” arts podcast in an effort to reduce nearly $4.5 million in annual expenses.
Maria Miller, the chief operations and administrative officer, and Eric Abrams, chief DEI officer, are among the senior leaders departing under mutual agreements triggered by the restructuring. Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan left last month to take the top job at Nashville Public Radio.
Facing ongoing threats to federal funding and sluggish revenue — up just 1.3% annually over the past eight years, while expenses grew 4.7% — the broadcaster has been operating at a board-approved deficit since 2022.
“Here’s the reality: Public media have not yet developed a sustainable national local membership model on digital platforms,” Isip said during the June 18 staff meeting.
KQED has scheduled a meeting for July 24 to address employees’ questions and outline its financial outlook.