South Carolina ETV lays off 15, and won't fill six open positions

South Carolina's ETV, which operates statewide public TV and radio networks, is shedding a total of 21 full-time and two part-time positions due to cutbacks in state funding and federal grants, The State newspaper is reporting today (Aug. 3). Rob Schaller, ETV spokesman, tells Current the layoffs took effect July 29. Fifteen full-time staffers and two part-timers are gone, and six open positions won't be filled. "That leaves fewer than 150 employees at the state’s public educational broadcasting network, which also, among other things, offers a multimedia educational system to more than 2,500 of the state’s schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies," the paper notes. Schaller told the paper the positions "come across the entire agency. Many areas were affected.” Gov. Nikki Haley earlier this year vetoed a portion of the state budget that provided ETV with $5.9 million, and replaced the entire Educational Television Commission. Legislators overrode her veto, permitting ETV to be funded indirectly by requiring state agencies to pay the network for the services it provides.