BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Valley Public Media (LVPM) is announcing organizational, operational and staffing changes in response to a shifting media environment.
A post on LehighValleyNews.com stated Lehigh Valley Public Media laid off nearly half of its staff Friday afternoon as a result of the organization’s financial situation.
LVPM officials say the organization came to the decision due to a combination of financial pressures, including declining revenues, rising costs, changing market conditions, and reductions in federal funding for public media.
Included in those changes, LehighValleyNews.com will transition to a newsletter-led model, supported by podcasts, video, and other digital formats designed to provide context, connection, and meaningful community engagement.
Officials say the combined pressures of reduced federal support, rising expenses, and declining revenues have increased reliance on the organization’s investment fund in ways that threaten its long-term sustainability.
“The intent of the investment fund is to supplement revenue streams to ensure we live within our means and support public media for generations to come,” said Luis Campos, Finance Chair. “At the current rate of spending, the fund could be significantly diminished within the next decade, placing our future service to the community at risk.”
As part of this evolution, LVPM says it will continue to serve as a trusted community hub, delivering essential local journalism and storytelling in an integrated way—across broadcast, digital, and in-person events.
While federal funding represents only a portion of LVPM’s overall revenue, its reduction has had an outsized impact. Public media organizations rely on federal support not only for direct funding, but also to leverage philanthropy, underwriting, and partnerships that depend on a stable national system.
“Federal support has long played a critical role in sustaining local journalism, educational programming, and essential community services,” said Laks Srinivasan, Chair of the Board of Directors of Lehigh Valley Public Media. “The loss of CPB funding, and the cascading effects it has triggered across the public media system, has fundamentally altered the financial foundation for stations of all sizes, including those serving the Lehigh Valley.”
LVPM says it remains committed to its mission of informing, educating, and connecting the Lehigh Valley.