LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kentucky Educational Television (KET), a Lexington-based public media station, announced on Thursday that 36 of its positions— about 22% of its staff— would need to be cut as necessary reductions after the elimination of federal funding from its budget.
“It is a sad but unavoidable situation for our dedicated team, and the loss will affect operations throughout the agency,” said Shae Hopkins, executive director and CEO of KET, in a news release on Sept. 4. “However, even during this difficult time, KET remains as committed as ever to serving Kentuckians across the Commonwealth.”
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KET leadership wrote that staff were implementing operational changes to help manage the impact of the cuts, keeping positions vacant and adding other cost-saving measures.
“Today’s action included the layoff of 15 staff members and the elimination of another 21 positions,” officials said.
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In an announcement on Thursday, station leaders wrote that KET was the Commonwealth’s largest classroom, providing trusted programming, lifelong learning opportunities, and essential services to more than two million viewers per week…