The NPR news and talk show “Tell Me More,” hosted by Michel Martin, will soon be no more.
In the face of a budget shortfall, NPR has decided to end production of the show Aug. 1, according to the nonprofit’s senior vice president for news, Margaret Low Smith. Washington, D.C.-based NPR will also eliminate 28 positions, eight of which are currently vacant, including jobs in its news division and library. All the employees who are being laid off have been notified, Smith said.
“While this is a difficult moment, it is important to remember the millions of people who rely on us for the quality of our reporting and the power of our storytelling,” Smith wrote to staff.Last year NPR offered buyouts to employees in an effort to reduce the workforce as part of a two-year plan to balance its budget, which has a deficit of about $6 million.
NPR earlier this month picked former E! Entertainment Television boss Jarl Mohn as its next president and chief executive to replace interim CEO Paul G. Haaga Jr. Part of his mission will be to dig NPR out of its financial hole.
