NPR to lay off 7% of its workforce

PHILADELPHIA - National Public Radio said Wednesday that it is laying off 7 percent of its staff, the first time it has downsized in 12 years, after experiencing sharp declines in funding, especially from corporate sponsors.

NPR said the layoffs affect 64 full-time staff, of which half comes from news and programming. The rest are in station services, engineering, information technology, communications, research, digital media and administration. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Also, 21 job vacancies will not be filled, and the broadcaster cut travel and discretionary expenses organization-wide.

NPR is also canceling two shows, "Day to Day" and "News and Notes," which have not received the audience traction, station carriage and corporate sponsorship that could make them self-sustaining.

"This is happening in response to the current economic downturn," NPR Chief Operating Officer Mitch Praver said.

He said NPR is projecting a $23 million shortfall for fiscal 2009 -- an 8 percent decline -- to $145 million. Corporate sponsorships are projected to fall by about a third.

In July, NPR said it projected a "relatively manageable" $2 million shortfall for 2009.

Employees were told Wednesday about the layoffs, which take effect in January for many workers.

Staff for the two canceled shows will leave in March, once the shows are off the air. The shows' staff is in Culver City, Calif., in the Los Angeles area. Most of the rest of the affected employees will come from NPR's headquarters in Washington.

The last time NPR laid off workers was in 1996, and before that it was 1983.