RI PBS, The Public’s Radio offer buyouts, warn of layoffs due to federal defunding
By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current
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Staring down an estimated $1.1 million budget gap resulting from congressional defunding, Rhode Island’s recently merged public media entity is cutting staff — first on a volunteer basis, and later, potentially through layoffs.
Pam Johnston, CEO of Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio, notified employees of cuts in a staff meeting Wednesday. The internal announcement was followed up with a statement published on the company’s website shortly after.
Citing the “significant and painful cut” prompted by the federal rescission package, which eliminated federal support for public broadcasting, Johnston said the company will be offering voluntary buyouts to “most” staff members. If not enough workers take the offer by the Sept. 5 deadline, the next step is organization wide layoffs, according to the email.
Meg Geoghegan, a spokesperson for the company, referred to Johnston’s email when asked for comment.
The news comes less than two years after the premiere state media organizations announced plans to merge, pooling talent and resources. The merger was approved by state and federal regulators in the spring of 2024, with Johnston, a Massachusetts broadcast veteran, brought on to lead the newly created company in July 2024. At the time of the merger application, the company said it would have roughly 100 employees.
An updated staffing number for the newly christened Ocean State Media was not immediately available.
Nationwide, public media outlets have been grappling with the fallout of federal funding cuts, which have provided a key source of money to public radio and broadcasting stations for nearly 60 years. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it would be closing its doors by the end of the year due to eliminated federal funding.
In Rhode Island, the estimated $1.1 million cut represents 10% of the public media entity’s combined operating budget, according to news reports.
“We have scrutinized our budget and reduced expenses wherever possible while navigating the complexities of our merger,” Johnston wrote in the email sent to staffers. “We’ve also received an outpouring of support from our community and have hosted two of our most successful pledge drives ever. Despite these efforts, it is not enough to close the financial gap.”
Staffing cuts will not affect programming until further evaluation of the remaining workforce, Johnston said.
“This federal funding cut happened to us; we have no choice but to respond,” she said. “As I have said before, this moment will change us, but it will not stop us. Despite these challenging times, we will continue evolving, adapting, and innovating. Our audiences, who rely on us for trusted local news and information, expect nothing less.”
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Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com.
