Dear Friends, We continue to live in harrowing times. The widespread hope was that the spread of COVID-19 would be under control by now and that state and local plans for a phased transition would be completed. This hasn’t happened and uncertainty has turned to stark reality. Over the last several months, I’ve learned that crises bring clarity about what’s truly important. In these moments, essential needs are food, water, shelter, and safety, but also trusted information and quality programming, which we deliver. And our values of empathy, respect, courage and independence guide our work and differentiate us from a confusing media landscape. KQED exists to serve community needs; our role is more important than ever. However, this unprecedented time is stretching us and forcing us to adjust, focus and call on our resilience. To address financial challenges caused by the pandemic, we’ve put a plan into place that prepares us for the economic downturn. We expect the corporate sponsorship revenue shortfall that began in March to continue well into 2021. We also anticipate that as the recession continues some of our members may need to reduce their contribution or stop supporting KQED. We identified a number of cost-saving measures, including: deep cuts in discretionary spending; no annual increases for staff; furlough days for staff who are not part of our core news and broadcast services; and a reduction in compensation for senior leadership. Unfortunately, we had to do more. Today I share the difficult news that we said farewell to some KQED employees. 20 individuals, representing 5.5% of our staff, will have their employment with KQED end in September. We feel deeply for our colleagues who have devoted themselves to KQED and to serving the Bay Area. It was a privilege to work with them and we’re grateful for their years of service. We’ve done our best to take care of them with financial support and health benefits during their transition. In assessing our financial priorities, we grounded ourselves in our mission to inform, inspire and involve. We’ll still broadcast 24/7 on radio and television and provide the programming you count on. We’ll deliver stellar local, statewide and national election coverage. We’re committed to providing up-to-date COVID-19 information and resources and filling educational gaps for at-home learning. Additionally, we’ll create more digital products and services such as podcasts, email newsletters and video series to engage new audiences. We’ll also convene virtual events to spark spirited and fruitful dialogue and maintain personal connection. Finally, we’ll make investments in diversity, equity and inclusion plus the right infrastructure, tools and systems so our staff can thrive and better serve you. KQED is fortunate and grateful to serve one of the most civically and culturally vibrant regions in the world. Even in these extreme circumstances, I’m inspired because I’ve seen the very best of all of us. KQED staff have adapted in creative ways to serve our community. In return, our community continues to step up for KQED and support our work. Together we’ve taken responsibility to care for one another because it’s our collective responsibility to ensure that the Bay Area emerges better and stronger. We need community more than ever. Thank you for your steadfast commitment and loyal dedication to KQED.
Michael Isip
President & CEO, KQED | 