Northern California Public Broadcasting, licensee of KQED-TV/FM and KTEH-TV, will eliminate 30 jobs and cut 13 percent of its budget under a restructuring plan announced on Monday. Station memberships have dropped five percent since October, but underwriting is off 24 percent and major donor contributions are down 15 percent, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Although all TV productions are subject to future funding, KQED will continue to produce new episodes of local programs such as Quest, Check, Please! Bay Area, and This Week in Northern California, and the station will deliver three new hours of Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures to PBS this spring. KQED Radio appears to have been spared from major changes.
Clarification: NCPB President Jeff Clark confirmed that a total of 44 jobs were eliminated under the restructuring plan. About 30 of these were lay-offs and buy-outs and, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News, 14 were vacant positions that will not be filled. In an interview today, Clark said executive compensation at the Bay Area pubcasting station was reduced by 13 percent and contributions to employee retirement were cut slightly. In addition, employees will take a one-week furlough.
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