Blue Ridge PBS lays off three staffers due to state budget cuts

Blue Ridge PBS in Roanoke, Va., is cutting three staff positions in anticipation of a July 1 loss of state funding that comprises about 11 percent of its budget, according to the Roanoke Times. The station is laying off its two-person educational services staff and cutting an engineering job.

A $305,000 education services grant and a $97,000 community services grant were cut from the state budget signed last week by Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican.

“It’s hard to lose employees, but we’ve lost important educational services that we provide to schools, too,” Will Anderson, Blue Ridge PBS v.p. of production and operations, told the newspaper.