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WMFE Faces Economic Challenges

Orlando, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2009) Just like many other non-profits, including many arts and cultural institutions, and for-profit companies in Central Florida, WMFE’s revenue sources have felt the impact of the challenging economic times.  Membership, major giving, corporate support, State funding and WMFE’s endowment have been re-projected to bring in less this year. 

In order to mitigate the substantial shortfall that has been forecasted, WMFE will be cancelling WMFE-TV’s The Arts Connection and laying off its staff of six.  Additionally, WMFE will be cutting an additional nine positions and eliminating one vacant position.  These staff reductions represent 28 percent of the current WMFE staff.  Familiar names being let go are the host of The Arts Connection, Secily Wilson and 90.7 WMFE-FM’s music announcer Dave Glerum.  The position of chief operating officer was also one that was eliminated.

WMFE’s remaining staff will be required to take two weeks of unpaid leave during this fiscal year, and the employer matching 401(k) funds have been eliminated for the foreseeable future.

Other areas that will be impacted by cost saving measures include janitorial services, cell phones, supplies and other contracted services.  To save on printing and postage, WMFE’s monthly program guide, FMO, will be reduced in size beginning with the April issue.

“I’ve been in public broadcasting for some 25 years, and during that time I’ve experienced recessions, hurricanes and government cuts, but I do not remember anything as challenging and uncertain as the current financial situation,” stated José A. Fajardo, president and CEO of WMFE.  “The difficult decision of letting staff go had to be made in order to protect WMFE’s core mission of providing informative and educational programming from PBS and NPR.”

WMFE remains committed to the arts. Classical music will continue to be broadcast on 90.7 WMFE-FM and the radio news team will cover the arts through features within Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The weekly radio program, Intersection, will focus on the arts at least once a month. For television, WMFE has gained the rights to telecast United Arts and Orange TV’s pARTicipate on WMFE-TV a program already airing on WMFE’s digital channel WMFE CFAN.

For information on WMFE, visit wmfe.org.  The stations of WMFE are the non-profit, member-supported, community-based public broadcasting stations of Central Florida, serving Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne.  In addition to WMFE-TV Analog Channel 24, 90.7 WMFE-FM, WMFE Audio Reading Service and wmfe.org, WMFE provides digital public television services through WMFE-DT Digital Channel 24, including WMFE-HD, V-me un servicio de WMFE, WMFE-ED, WMFE CFAN and WMFE Encore!  WMFE also supports PBS KIDS Sprout, the 24x7-preschool digital-cable network.