As part of ongoing efforts to avoid layoffs because of budget shortfalls caused by the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, National Public Radio is cutting executive pay, the New York Times reported Monday.
NYT reported that NPR CEO John Lansing will take a 25% pay reduction, while other NPR executives will see cuts ranging from 10% to 15%.
In an email sent to employees on Friday, Lansing wrote that the cuts became necessary because the nonprofit will see donations from major corporate sponsors drop by as much as $12 million to $15 million as a result of the coronavirus shutdown. “We do not have any position eliminations on the table now, and it is our goal to avoid them as much as is reasonably possible,” Lansing wrote, according to the Times.
NPR did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap, but a spokesperson told the Times that “NPR is taking a significant budget hit because of the economic lockdown,” and that the organization’s “main priority is to preserve jobs.”
The cuts are part of several potential measures NPR may take to deal with coronavirus-caused budgetary shortfalls. According to Politico, other cuts include a hiring freeze, a stop on non-essential travel, and ceasing bonuses and raises.