South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s logo at its downtown Sioux Falls studio. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
Private fundraising will help South Dakota Public Broadcasting save just under half of the employees originally selected for layoffs earlier this year, the organization said Thursday.
SDPB announced potential cuts in August after Congress and President Donald Trump canceled $1.1 billion in previously approved nationwide funding for public media. That decision cost SDPB $2.2 million, or about 20% of its budget. At the time, state funds accounted for a little more than half of SDPB’s budget, while grants, private donations and other sources made up the rest.
The softened layoffs, down to seven from the 15 announced earlier, were made possible by a mixture of restructuring, donations and grants.
“This is a remarkable demonstration of what South Dakota can do when we pull together,” Executive Director Julie Overgaard said in a news release.
Four journalists, two engineers and one marketing specialist were laid off, Overgaard confirmed with South Dakota Searchlight. Additionally, five open positions will remain unfilled. The open positions and layoffs will reduce the organization’s staff from 63.5 full-time equivalent positions to 51.5.
“South Dakota Focus,” an in-depth public affairs television program, will be eliminated and magazine-style TV program “Dakota Life” will reduce its output. Public affairs radio program “In The Moment” will be incorporated into breaks during the national “Morning Edition” show, with host Lori Walsh producing the segments. “In The Moment,” which is currently an hour-long standalone show, will be shortened to about 15 total minutes on air, with extra content shared in the program’s podcast.
Friends of SDPB, the organization’s nonprofit fundraising arm, did not share how much money was raised in its months-long donation drive. The organization’s Bison Campaign, launched after the funding rescission, has a $2 million goal. A message on the Friends of SDPB website as of Thursday said “we’re already more than halfway there.”
Overgaard said SDPB received “very generous” foundation grants to continue providing education resources for the next year. SDPB will have to determine a “strategic redirection” for its educational programming before the grant expires.
SDPB will retain live legislative audio and video feeds, high school fine arts and sports event broadcasts, and emergency communications.
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