WBUR offers buyouts, layoffs still loom
Weeks after WBUR’s leader warned of possible job cuts, Boston’s NPR station has announced that it’s offering buyouts before the station likely resorts to layoffs.
The station on Commonwealth Avenue is facing a challenging financial situation after WBUR’s on-air sponsorship income plummeted by about $7 million in recent years.
As a result, WBUR is looking to begin the next fiscal year with a budget that’s at least $4 million lower than this year, CEO Margaret Low told staff members yesterday.
This year’s budget is around $45 million, so the station is aiming to cut spending by about 10%.
Low said the station is first turning to voluntary buyouts before resorting to layoffs.
“This Voluntary Program reflects our desire to be humane during a challenging time,” WBUR’s CEO wrote. “We anticipate that some people will decide that this is a good opportunity to retire or to take a break and begin a new chapter.
“While we wish this voluntary program would alleviate the need for other actions, we know that it won’t,” Low added. “We anticipate that we’ll still need to freeze some open roles and do layoffs, but we’re hoping to eliminate as few jobs as possible. This Voluntary Program should help with that goal.”
There have been many reports in recent months of buyouts and layoffs across the media landscape. That has included The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times. Last month, NPR station WAMU in Washington, D.C., announced layoffs.
WBUR’s buyout program is open to every full or parttime employee who has a regular weekly schedule, and who has worked there for at least three months. Any eligible worker can choose to participate in the program and voluntarily leave WBUR.
Departing employees will receive pay continuation — one week for every year of service at WBUR (or Boston University). Also, departing workers will get an additional four weeks of pay as a lump sum after the pay and benefits continuation period.
WBUR won’t announce any other expense reduction plans until the station knows how many people are taking buyouts.
“With all this, I firmly believe that WBUR has a bright future,” Low wrote. “My job is to ensure that our journalism and programming remain strong and that WBUR has the financial resources we need to thrive for decades to come. I’m confident that even with all these difficult steps we must take, WBUR will continue to be a beacon of editorial excellence for millions of people in Boston and beyond.”
Low earlier this month had asked WBUR donors to boost their monetary support.
“…The outpouring from the public has been affirming,” the CEO said. “More than a thousand people have given and given more since I sent a note to the WBUR community earlier this month. This includes everyone from first-time donors to very generous members of both our boards.
“It won’t close the gap. We didn’t expect it to,” Low added. “But we have raised awareness, grown our Sustainer rolls and helped people understand our economics and the vital importance of supporting WBUR. We want to keep this new momentum going.”