Alabama public media groups are starting to make changes following Congress’s decision to cut $9 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in July. Alabama Public Television leaders laid off 15% of their staff last week, while a Huntsville public radio station has announced that it is dropping its NPR programming.
APT laid off 11 employees, including four members of the production teams of APT’s original programming, four education staff members, a public information and programming team member and a member of their Montgomery studio team. These cuts will take effect on Sept. 30.
APT, which has aired in Alabama for more than 70 years, lost more than $2.8 million in grant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting following congressional cuts to the organization. CPB is a non-profit corporation that distributes funding to local PBS and NPR stations around the country…