'PBS Newshour' announces layoffs, office closures

The long-running news show formerly helmed by Jim Lehrer will make its first major layoffs in nearly 20 years, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The company will close its offices in San Francisco and Denver, and eliminate some of its production positions at its Washington, D.C. headquarters. "The PBS Newshour's" executive producer said that the program hoped to "build new relationships with a variety of locally based freelance video journalists around the country."

"A steady drop in corporate revenue" contributed to the program's decision to cut back.

Here's the "Newshour's" full statement (via The Denver Post):

The PBS NewsHour told its staff today that, during the new fiscal year beginning in July, it will be closing the offices in Denver and San Francisco and eliminating several non-critical jobs in Washington, D.C. In cooperation with WETA, we are also planning changes in our technical production processes in order to streamline and further digitize operations.

These steps come after more than a year reviewing how the NewsHour functions and how to take advantage of opportunities presented by new technologies. We believe the staff restructuring and production changes, along with continuing web investment, will make us stronger and enable us to be more effective and nimble. Along with sending our own teams into the field, we will build new relationships with journalists around the country. Managing producer Patti Parson will remain.

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It is hard to be losing some colleagues who have been valued for a long time. However, we believe the changes will strengthen our ability to adapt and grow as a journalistic institution. The NewsHour remains committed to delivering the same kind of in-depth reporting our viewers and supporters expect from us.