KUOW statement: Station announces cost reduction measures
Today, KUOW leadership made the difficult decision to lower our annual operating costs by $722,000 through the reduction of 6 current and 3 open administrative positions, effective October 6, 2025. We thank these employees for their dedication, hard work, and the meaningful contributions they have made to KUOW. We are committed to provide support and assistance throughout the transition process.
KUOW has worked over the past three years to adapt to changes in the broadcast industry and to meet the needs of new, primarily digital audiences. To do this, we have invested ahead of projected revenue growth and have adjusted our spend to right-size these investments. In FY23 and FY24, we relied on a combined $5.6 million from KUOW reserves to fully fund our activities.
This past June—for the first time in three years—we ended the fiscal year with a balanced budget. This is a remarkable turnaround, especially considering the $3.4 million gap between revenue and expenses just a year ago. Despite our recent strong gains in both audience and revenue, we still face a difficult reality: projected revenue over the next three fiscal years will not be sufficient to keep pace with the rising costs of producing high-quality journalism. This is especially true now that we have lost the equivalent of $1.4M in annual CPB funding as a result of the Congressional vote to claw back dollars that had previously been approved for FY26 and FY27.
In their overwhelming response to our emergency fundraising appeal post-rescission, our listeners gave us time to build a sustainable budget beyond the current fiscal year that does not rely on federal funding.
Our actions today reflect that trust from our audience—and are a necessary step to ensure the long-term sustainability of KUOW and our ability to deliver on our mission to create and serve a more informed public.
