Faced With $100,000 Shortfall, KPCC Is Forced to Trim Staff

Public radio station KPCC-FM (89.3) is facing its worst financial crisis ever as a result of what is being described as a $100,000 “accounting error.”

The station, which is operated by Pasadena City College on an annual budget of about $1 million, was recently found to have less money in its coffers than was thought.

To make up for the shortfall, KPCC executives fired a promotions employee, reduced the hours of some other employees and reduced the number of days for the popular music hall-style show hosted by Ian Whitcomb.

“We thought we had more money than we did,” program director Larry Mantle said Tuesday. “I’ve never had to lay people off before and it’s horrible.”

Mantle stressed that the station is “not in danger of going under.”

Station officials decided that cutting back personnel was preferable to cutting out costly--but popular--NPR programs such as “All Things Considered.” (That program costs an estimated $60,000 yearly.)

“We’re trying to do things that won’t affect as much the sound of what’s on the air,” Mantle said. “That’s going to be the last thing we touch.”

He said KPCC may hold an emergency fund-raising drive to help offset the loss.

“We may have to let more people go yet,” Mantle said. “The hard part is what it’s going to mean to the lives of people who work at the station. Needless to say, our staff is on pins and needles right now.”