Contact:
Fritz Miller Director of Programming & Communications
South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Phone: (605) 202-0286
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.sdpb.org
Vermillion, S.D. – August 21, 2025 – South Dakota Public Broadcasting Executive Director Julie Overgaard announced today layoffs that will affect 15 SDPB employees. The affected positions are across the spectrum of programs and services that SDPB provides. They impact SDPB local journalism efforts, eliminate the radio program In the Moment and the TV program South Dakota Focus, reduce output of the program Dakota Life, and eliminate the educational resources provided by SDPB’s Education Team. Several support positions are also being eliminated.
In addition to the layoffs, five open positions will remain unfilled. This represents a 25% decrease in SDPB’s workforce. Layoffs are expected to take effect on Friday, October 31.
“This is the hardest decision we've ever had to make,” said Julie Overgaard, Executive Director of SDPB. “Our staff is the heart of our mission. Every person affected by these reductions is making vital contributions to public broadcasting in South Dakota. These changes are in no way a reflection of their work, talent, or dedication—but rather the result of unprecedented and sudden losses to our funding.”
In July, President Trump delivered a rescission package to Congress which clawed back money that had previously been appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other federal agencies. Congress approved the rescission package, which passed both houses. The rescission takes effect on October 1, which is the beginning of the new federal fiscal year.
Not all local programming is affected by the cuts. SDPB is prioritizing open government and access to the South Dakota Legislature, as well as comprehensive coverage of SDHSAA athletic championships and fine arts events.
SDPB also made the decision to retain all its TV and Radio transmitters to maintain virtually universal access to its broadcast signals. SDPB currently broadcasts on a network of nine
TV transmitters and twelve radio transmitters, plus several low power translators, which provide coverage to approximately 98% of South Dakota’s population.
SDPB continues to work with Friends of SDPB, a non-profit fundraising and advocacy organization that supports SDPB, and other community partners to identify emergency funding and long-term solutions to restore services and retain as many staff as possible. As that funding is realized fewer layoffs will be necessary, and more staff will be retained. There is also hope that Congress will include an appropriation for public broadcasting in the upcoming FY26 budget bill.
“We are encouraged by the outpouring of well-wishes we have received, many of which are accompanied by donations,” said Ryan Howlett, CEO of Friends of SDPB. “Local money pays for programming that our members and audience appreciate the most. We are grateful for the support we receive from the state of South Dakota and from our member-donors.”
“We prove every day that the state’s investment in SDPB is worth it. We are disheartened that support for public broadcasting at the state level was not reflected in the vote at the federal level by our representatives in Congress,” said Overgaard. “It is simply not possible to absorb a $2.2 million cut in federal funding and not have it affect our programming and content. These cuts are significant, and they hurt.”
Local programming is the most expensive to produce because it requires personnel, time, equipment, travel, and engineering resources. SDPB has assembled a list of priorities and, as funding resources settle in, some programming that is potentially on the chopping block may be spared.
SDPB continues to deliver national content from PBS and NPR, provide educational programming, and maintain critical emergency alerts, but the organization emphasizes these services are under serious threat without urgent support.
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About SDPB
South Dakota Public Broadcasting is the only statewide, noncommercial public media network—providing educational content, news, and emergency broadcasting across rural and urban communities in South Dakota.
