South Dakota Public Broadcasting Announces Layoffs, Program Cuts.

There were more painful cuts on Friday for America’s public radio and TV stations.

Just a day after Rhode Island’s Ocean State Media announced that voluntary buyouts are being offered to its employees, South Dakota Public Broadcasting is also facing cutbacks.

Executive Director Julie Overgaard on Friday announced layoffs that will affect 15 SDPB employees, with the lost jobs coming from across the spectrum of programs and services that SDPB provides.

“This is the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make,” Overgaard says in a news release. “Our staff is the heart of our mission. Every person affected by these reductions is making vital contributions to public broadcasting in South Dakota. These changes are in no way a reflection of their work, talent, or dedication — but rather the result of unprecedented and sudden losses to our funding.”

In addition, five open positions will remain unfilled. All told, the lost jobs represent a 25% decrease in SDPB’s workforce. Layoffs are expected to take effect on Friday, Oct. 31.

Local programming will also be affected. Radio’s “In the Moment” and TV’s “South Dakota Focus” will be eliminated, along with educational resources provided by SDPB’s Education Team. Some support positions are also being cut.

The rescission package that passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump takes back money that had been appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other federal agencies. The rescission takes effect on Oct. 1, the start of the new federal fiscal year.

Not all local programming is impacted by the budget cuts. SDPB says it remains committed to promoting open government and ensuring public access to the South Dakota Legislature. It will also continue to provide in-depth coverage of SDHSAA athletic championships and fine arts events.

In addition, SDPB will maintain all its TV and radio transmitters to preserve near-universal access to its broadcast services. The network currently operates nine TV transmitters and 12 radio transmitters, along with several low-power translators, reaching approximately 98% of South Dakota’s population.

“We prove every day that the state’s investment in SDPB is worth it,” says Overgaard. “We are disheartened that support for public broadcasting at the state level was not reflected in the vote at the federal level by our representatives in Congress. It is simply not possible to absorb a $2.2 million cut in federal funding and not have it affect our programming and content. These cuts are significant, and they hurt.”