PBS initiated another round of layoffs yesterday, letting go of 34 staffers—the latest cuts in a 15% workforce reduction that has been playing out at the public broadcaster.

“Due to the loss of federal funding, PBS eliminated close to 100 positions over the last several months, including 34 valued PBS staff members notified yesterday their employment is ending,” a spokesperson tells Kidscreen. “In this unprecedented moment we remain focused on what matters most: ensuring our member stations can deliver quality content and services to communities across America.”

PBS would not confirm whether any of the 34 members laid off yesterday included PBS KIDS staffers.

It’s been more than a month since Congress approved US President Donald Trump’s US$1.1-billion request to cut public media funding earmarked for PBS and NPR. In response, PBS trimmed its budget by 21% last month, with president and CEO Paula Kerger also letting station general managers know that overall station dues will see a US$35-million reduction to help ease their budgeting pressures.

Deadline is reporting that Kerger recently also informed general managers of a “significant grant” from a major donor that will help support PBS KIDS and PBS News Hour. 

The move to slash nearly 100 total roles in recent months includes cuts to 25% of PBS KIDS positions earlier this summer due to the loss of the Ready to Learn grant in May. 

“We had to eliminate more than 25% of PBS KIDS positions because of the decision by the Department of Education to abruptly cancel the Ready To Learn grant,” SVP and GM of PBS KIDS Sara DeWitt said in a statement the following month. “This decision has removed a critical resource that for over 30 years has enabled us to create high-quality, educational PBS KIDS content while opening up worlds of possibilities for millions of children across the country.”