Wisconsin Public Radio Lays-Off 15 Staffers

Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), grappling with budget deficits and potential federal funding cuts, will lay off at least 15 full-time staff members and leave several vacant positions unfilled, according to sources unauthorized to speak publicly. 

Four programs, including the nationally syndicated “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” “BETA,” “Zorba Paster On Your Health,” and the local “University of the Air,” will cease this fall.

WPR Director Sarah Ashworth, in a Friday letter to sustaining members, cited “multiple challenges,” including rising costs, stagnant revenue, potential funding reductions, and the need to adapt to changing audience habits. WPR leadership redirected media inquiries to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which pointed to a WPR public statement.

An informational meeting held Friday afternoon, described as “somber” by attendees, included a Q&A session where leadership did not address all questions, leaving some employees disappointed.

WPR, the nation’s oldest public radio station founded as 9XM, is co-managed by the Universities of Wisconsin and the Educational Communications Board. It joins numerous public media organizations nationwide facing potential federal funding cuts.