This year marks the 70th birthday of PBS North Carolina. The statewide network based in Research Triangle Park and known for producing shows such as "State Lines" and "NC Weekend" isn’t doing much celebrating, though. That’s because it’s grappling with the loss of nearly $5 million annually in federal funding following recent cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. PBS North Carolina CEO David Crabtree joined WFAE’s Marshall Terry to talk about what the cuts mean.
Marshall Terry: We here in public radio operate in a similar way to you in public television, relying for years on this federal funding which is no longer coming. What did PBS North Carolina use that money for?
David Crabtree: The money primarily went for two things, towards salaries and also toward programming, particularly at the national level as we pay a hefty amount to PBS for their programming.
Terry: What does that loss mean? Staffing cuts? Program cuts?
Crabtree: A little bit of both, but I want to keep it in perspective. The staffing cuts are really significant. They are always hard, but the budget is the budget. When you look at programming cuts, there will be some cuts or delays in production of new programs, but in context the vast majority of the programming will remain in place.
Terry: Going back to the staffing cuts for a moment, just how big is PBS North Carolina and what sort of cuts are you looking at there and if you can put a number on it?
Crabtree: We have 140 people on staff here. The cuts may go as deep as 20%. We have a program in place now offering a voluntary separation for employees based on their time of service, and we will evaluate that when a 30-day period passes. That will be early September, and then we will begin to know what the hard numbers are going to look like.
Terry: How will the funding loss affect the network’s ability to broadcast emergency alert information, especially in areas where it might be one of the only ways for people to get that information?
Crabtree: It will not change one bit. In fact, the division that handles that throughout our 13 transmitters and tower network across the state, from the mountains to the coast, those folks aren't eligible for this voluntary separation. They are essential and our commitment from our level, from the General Assembly's level through the governor's office, is that for the people of North Carolina, emergency management will not suffer either in the number of personnel or the way the personnel carries out their responsibilities.
Terry: PBS North Carolina also receives state funding. One budget proposal this year called for a cut of $4 million to the network. Lawmakers still have not passed a final budget and are on recess until later this month. Where does that proposed cut stand right now?
Crabtree: It sort of stands in a no-man's land. The early Senate budget did include a $4 million cut to our appropriations, which last year was $10.8 million. The House version basically gave that responsibility directly to the UNC System office, which does power us, by the way. We don't know. There may still be a smaller cut within our budget, but we don't know yet.
As we prepare our budget for the coming year, and we are already actively in the new fiscal year, we have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C. We had to activate plan B when the federal cuts happened. We hope not to have to activate a plan C, but if we do we will.
Bottom line, Marshall, the budget is the budget. The numbers are the numbers, and we have to find a way to make that work.
