WBUR announces employee buyouts amid budget cuts

WBUR announced Tuesday it would offer employee buyouts in the coming months amid expense cuts following declining sponsorship support for the Boston-based radio station.

The buyouts are the “first phase” in WBUR’s plan to cut almost 10% of its budget for the upcoming fiscal year, CEO Margaret Low wrote in a letter to staff Tuesday. The announcement comes after Low said earlier this month that business for the radio station has “never been harder.”

In her original letter, Low said a hiring freeze and layoffs are “likely.” Tuesday’s update took a more definitive tone, saying layoffs aren’t going to be avoided even with voluntary resignations. 

“While we wish this voluntary program would alleviate the need for other actions, we know that it won’t,” Low wrote. “We anticipate that we’ll still need to freeze some open roles and do layoffs, but we’re hoping to eliminate as few jobs as possible.”

The program will allow participants to receive a week of pay continuation and health benefits for each year worked at WBUR. The last day for departing employees would be May 10, according to Low’s email. 

The union representing almost half of the employees at WBUR, part of SAG-AFTRA, encouraged people to support the station a few days after Low announced the financial difficulties.

“Station management is doing the right thing by working with SAG-AFTRA represented employees to forge a path forward,” the union said in a post on X March 11. “Our stewards will be speaking with them this week to begin discussions about how we can lead the organization through this moment responsibly.”

SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Mary Cavallaro told WBUR that the union was “appreciative” of Low’s willingness to discuss the situation with union members.

“We are hopeful that these conversations will continue and that we can work collaboratively with management to ensure the sustainability of WBUR and the critical work that its employees perform every day,” Cavallaro said.

Despite an outpouring of support from the public after WBUR’s initial announcement, Low said donations won’t be enough to offset costs. 

“More than a thousand people have given and given more since I sent a note to the WBUR community earlier this month,” Low said in Tuesday’s email. “This includes everyone from first-time donors to very generous members of both our boards. It won’t close the gap. We didn’t expect it to.”

In her original letter, Low said the station had lost nearly $7 million in sponsorship money in the last five years. WBUR is aiming to reduce its budget by $4 million for the next fiscal year from its current budget of $45 million. 

Low didn’t say how many jobs would need to be cut, but said the station wouldn’t announce further plans until the number of people willing to voluntarily step down became clear. 

“This Voluntary Program reflects our desire to be humane during a challenging time,” Low said. “We anticipate that some people will decide that this is a good opportunity to retire or to take a break and begin a new chapter.”

Meanwhile, WBUR’s audience has grown steadily across audio and digital platforms, Low said earlier this month. 

“My job is to ensure that our journalism and programming remain strong and that WBUR has the financial resources we need to thrive for decades to come,” Low wrote in Tuesday’s letter. “I’m confident that even with all these difficult steps we must take, WBUR will continue to be a beacon of editorial excellence for millions of people in Boston and beyond.”

Want to leave a comment?

Create an Account Or sign in to your account

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

To comment, please verify your email address

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com