NYPR's President Talks Layoffs, Other Cuts
The Brian Lehrer Show
WNYC
4.6 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 13 October 2023
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
New York Public Radio recently laid off about 6% of its staff. LaFontaine Oliver, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, talks about the layoffs and other podcast cuts, the state of the budget and the organization's priorities moving forward.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Brian Lair on WNYC, now a report to listeners from WNYC president and CEO LaFontaine Oliver. |
| 0:18.4 | Some of you may have heard on our newscast about WNYC reducing the number of podcasts |
| 0:23.2 | it produces and laying off 6% of its workforce to achieve what the station calls long term |
| 0:29.4 | financial sustainability and protecting our public service mission. |
| 0:34.2 | This comes in the context of the economic forces affecting so many news organizations. |
| 0:38.9 | For example, the Washington Post this week, maybe you saw this story. |
| 0:42.9 | The other day announced it's eliminating 240 positions, 10% of its workforce, NPR this |
| 0:49.5 | year laid off 10% of its workforce and eliminated four podcasts, and now there is this here. |
| 0:56.0 | We have just said goodbye to 20 of our colleagues. |
| 0:59.9 | As a spoiler alert, not affected by layoffs is our local news department considered the |
| 1:05.0 | heart of New York Public Radio's not-for-profit mission as the economy for for-profit |
| 1:10.6 | local news continues to decline and with it so many journalism jobs and so much local |
| 1:16.4 | reporting in the for-profit sector. |
| 1:19.2 | But other cuts here are painful nonetheless, personally and programming wise. |
| 1:24.0 | We'll also talk a little about where our coverage of the new Middle East war comes |
| 1:27.5 | from. |
| 1:28.5 | Hi, LaFontaine. |
| 1:29.5 | Welcome back to the show. |
| 1:30.5 | Hi, Brian. |
| 1:31.5 | Always great to spend some time with you. |
| 1:34.4 | Would you like to take a minute or two and explain some more of the media economics of |
| 1:39.0 | today generally in the situation here? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.