Two dozen WBUR employees are bought out, 7 are laid off

WBUR reported Wednesday that a combination of buyouts and layoffs would have a significant impact on its staff. Seven people were laid off and 24 staff members chose to make voluntary buyouts, according to a letter from CEO Margaret Low. In total, about 14 percent of the network’s staff members could be affected, according to a WBUR report on the situation.

Among the seven people laid off are three part-time employees. They will leave before the end of June, according to Low. She also announced that nine vacant positions will be eliminated, travel costs will be reduced and the station is negotiating lower rates on contracted services.

The blow to WBUR comes as the NPR affiliate struggles to weather a significant drop in advertising revenue. Advertising accounts for about a quarter of WBUR’s revenue, and it has fallen more than 40% since 2019, according to a recent report. Boston Globe report. WBUR will begin fiscal 2025 with a budget down $4 million from the current one, according to Low.

Laid-off workers will receive four weeks of severance pay as well as an additional week of pay for each year spent at the station.

The large number of employees who made buyouts allowed WBUR to limit the number of layoffs needed, Low said. Some of those laid off could be rehired to fill other positions.

Four members of the station’s leadership team were bought out: executive director of business partnerships Pete Matthews, senior director of finance Del Reese, director of membership and campaign strategy Mike Steffon and executive director of engineering, operations and IT Karl Voelker, according to Low. .

Although 20 additional staff members have opted for buyout, this number will not be finalized until May 1, the deadline for participants to fully commit. Those who sign up will have their last day on May 10.

“I won’t try to characterize what made people choose this path – the reasons are many. Everything from being ready to retire to the chance to open another chapter. We recognize that the departure of so many colleagues will be a significant change for WBUR and that it will take time to absorb everything,” Low wrote.

WBUR and GBH are grappling with audience declines accentuated by the pandemic and the resulting disappearance of daily travel for many. In 2017, WBUR had 534,400 weekly listeners, up from about 387,500 in February, according to World reports. During the same period, GBH’s weekly audience increased from 445,200 to 299,000 people.

Programming changes are also coming to WBUR. The final local newscast will air at 8 p.m. sometime before the end of the fiscal year, and host Lisa Mullins will host the 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. newscasts in addition to “All Things Considered.” Sharon Brody will host hourly newscasts until 3 p.m. on weekends in addition to her current responsibilities as host of “Weekend Edition,” according to Low.

“The Common,” which until now was a 15-minute daily news and culture podcast, will become a weekly show. It has attracted a “new, younger, more diverse audience,” Low said, but audience and revenue growth is still lacking. The show will retain much of its “format and identity” but will now have a different “pace”. Expanding the show’s original reporting and amplifying its brand will be priorities.

Despite this grim news, Low sought to project confidence. She cited data that shows WBUR as Boston’s top news channel for 14 months and said the audience and number of digital listeners are now growing steadily. Shows like “Here & Now” and “On Point” reach millions of Americans every week, and the latter has seen 50% year-over-year growth. WBUR continues to produce high-profile written journalism, such as a recent report on alleged serial rapist Alvin Campbell Jr. Low discussed an initiative to modernize the station’s technology in an effort to “personalize” member relationships of the public to come in June.

Many viewers are always eager to support the station. WBUR’s spring fundraising campaign brought in twice as much revenue as last year, according to the station’s own report. Donation requests now appear at the end of online articles, and people can enjoy an ad-free feed and early access to the “Beyond All Repair” podcast through a new membership program.

Low said she resisted calls to cut the budget further.

“We believe $4 million in cost reductions was all this organization could handle. Many people advised us to cut deeper than necessary. We didn’t do this because we don’t think you can work your way to success. We need the runway – a little more time – to build the necessary resources so WBUR can thrive for decades to come,” she wrote.