WKU Public Media cut its staffing by a third Wednesday, due to the “recent elimination of federal support for public media,” WKU Public Media Interim Executive Director Jordan Basham said in an email.
The organization cut six full-time positions and two part-time positions. The elimination of jobs comes months after WKU Public Media announced it was preparing to lose $1.2 million in funding in July.
In the email, Basham said that the cut of federal support has “created a significant, immediate funding deficit to our organization.”
The funding cuts were a result of the Recession Act of 2025, which cut $9.4 billion in unobligated funds provided to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other independent and related agencies.
“Despite budget realignment, operational cost reductions, and an incredible emergency fundraising response, the shortfall requires difficult changes,” Basham said.
