KPCC Undergoes Realignment

• Southern California Public Radio non-comm KPCC/Pasadena has undergone a staff “realignment” that has resulted in the layoff of an unknown number of staffers. The unfortunate news of the downsizing was delivered by KPCC Pres./CEO Herb Scannell in an open letter posted online. The letter reads, in part, “When I arrived at SCPR in February, I knew the journalism was good, and that the station had an excellent reputation. But during the last nine months, I have come to deeply appreciate all the work you do to provide Southern Californians with excellent, in-depth local news and programming. We’re in a strong position. We now have a meaningful digital footprint on LAist.com and on demand. This positions us better for growth and greater public service.”

Now, the other shoe drops, as Scannell (left) said, “To get to where we need to go, we need to reallocate our spending in some areas. These moves will allow us to double down on innovation and get in front of softening economic factors. Today we are announcing a realignment that will allow some changes in our staffing going forward. In the past, when we’ve needed more money, we have taken funds from the marketing budget. But that’s come at the cost of telling our own story and raising awareness about our public service.”

In closing, Scannell said, “Growing our audience is critical to our sustainability and marketing plays a key role. And for those reasons we’ve had to make some difficult decisions. We’ve done so with an eye towards protecting our ability to do the kind of original journalism we want to be known for, and to continue to provide robust local programming on air and online. These decisions are never easy. We value the work of the colleagues whose positions are being eliminated.”