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There will now be less to consider from the public-radio behemoth that brings you the popular afternoon news program “All Things Considered.”
National Public Radio (NPR) said this week that it was putting a halt to four of its podcasts: “Invisibilia,” “Louder Than a Riot,” “Rough Translation” and “Everyone & Their Mom.”
“We literally are fighting to secure the future of NPR at this very moment by restructuring our cost structure. It’s that important,” said John Lansing, NPR’s chief executive, in an interview with the network’s website.
The announcement follows last month’s news that the network was laying off about 10% of its staff, meaning at least 100 people.
In a memo to employees about the layoffs, NPR CEO John Lansing said, “we are talking about our colleagues — people whose skills, spirit and talents help make NPR what it is today. This will be a major loss.”
Lansing blamed the decline in advertising revenue, especially for the network’s podcasts, as a key factor behind the cutbacks. He said that NPR, which has an annual budget of about $300 million, was looking at a revenue shortfall in the range of $30 million.
NPR is far from the only media organization that is confronting tough times. Others that have recently announced layoffs or cutbacks of other kinds include CNN, Gannett, Vox Media and the Washington Post.
