Lakeshore Public Media to lay off, shift employee positions amid state, federal budget cuts

Chicago Tribune

04-06-2025

Lakeshore Public Media will likely lay off and shift some employees to part-time positions, which will impact two-thirds of its employees amid state and federal funding cuts, said president and CEO Chuck Roberts.
The reduction in workforce will translate to a reduction in local TV and radio production, Roberts said.
The public news organization 'has been facing an uphill battle for support,' as viewers and listeners shift the way they consume television and radio broadcasts, Roberts said. While public support 'remains strong,' it represents about a third of the funding the organization needs to remain on the air, he said.
In the final hours of the 2025 session, the Indiana legislature passed a biennial budget that cuts funding to all Indiana PBS and NPR stations, Roberts said. Lakeshore Public Media will lose approximately $380,000 per year of the biennial budget, he said, which represents nearly 30% of its annual budget.
The Trump Administration will likely ask Congress to rescind two years of approved funding — which Lakeshore Public Media has already budgeted for — allocated for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Roberts said.
If the federal funds are cut, Roberts said Lakeshore Public Media will lose another approximately $560,000, or another 30% of its annual budget, Roberts said.
'With these shortages in mind and the goal of continued operations, Lakeshore has had to make some tough choices and undertake a reduction in force. This will mean a reduction in local production on TV and radio,' Roberts said. 'We will strive to continue serving the people of Northwest Indiana with content creation and community engagement while exploring partnership opportunities to ensure that public media is accessible to our communities.'
The state legislature passed a $44 billion two-year budget in April, which Democrats voiced many concerns about including the defunding of public broadcasting.
Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, said he was disappointed the budget cut funding to public broadcasting, especially as legislators are often interviewed by public broadcasting journalists about what is taking place during the session.
'Public broadcasting allowed us to speak directly to Hoosiers, informing them of what is important to us, informing them of what is happening in this building and informing them of what's happening on a platform that is nonpartisan,' Pol said.
Roberts said the state funding cuts 'came with no warning and with no opportunity for public comment.' The state and federal cuts will be a big budgetary hit, he said.
'This all marks the most serious threat to public media funding in decades. Rolling it back will devastate Lakeshore's ability to bring you local news, information and local programming. These cuts will mean over half our annual budget gone,' Roberts said.