Beloved public radio station WNYC, which is just going through its spring membership drive, confirmed to us that it will be making cuts, as we reported last month. A statement was issued reading: “Like other non-profits and cultural institutions, WNYC has been impacted by the economic downturn and has seen revenues decline, primarily in underwriting. Unfortunately, despite significant cuts to our operating expenses, we still must eliminate some positions in order to meet our financial targets. As of today, we are laying off 4 people and eliminating 11 unfilled positions from across the organization.” Senior staff will also take a 5 percent pay cut. In happier news, Herb Scannell, former head of Nickelodeon and former vice-chair for MTV Networks, has been elected to chair the station’s Board of Trustees.
• Drama at TV Guide has reached new heights: Recently resigned CEO Scott Crystal sent an e-mail to current staffers accusing new owners OpenGate Capital of, among other things, funneling TV Guide funds into its other ventures. [Media Ink/NYP]
• Keith Kelly wrote this morning that “Newsweek is doing a great job of shedding readers.” We also learned from Romenesko that the magazine is pulling an Arrested Development–style maneuver and bringing in a big celebrity to get some attention: Stephen Colbert is guest-editing next week’s issue. [Media Ink/NYP, Romenesko]
• Daniel Hertzberg, the Journal’s deputy managing editor, announced his plans to step down after over 30 years with the organization. [E&P Pub via Mediabistro]
