News

WETA cuts 5% of workforce, cancels three local television programs

Current · Julian Wyllie · last updated

WETA in Washington, D.C., has eliminated 21 staff positions and canceled three TV shows as it looks to cut $4.4 million in spending for this fiscal year.

CEO Sharon Rockefeller announced the downsizing in a Wednesday email to employees that was shared with Current. “WETA is a strong institution with an unwavering commitment to serving this community and the nation,” she wrote, “but we need to adjust the scope of our work to meet our current fiscal reality.”

The workforce reduction includes layoffs of 12 active workers and the elimination of nine vacant positions, representing approximately 5% of the employee roster of more than 400 staff.

Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model

State of Play

The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.

Artificial intelligence


More informationabout State of the business model