South Dakota Public Broadcasting Executive Director Julie Overgaard holds a press conference at the Sioux Falls SDPB studio on Aug. 21, 2025. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota Public Broadcasting Executive Director Julie Overgaard announced Thursday that the organization plans to lay off 15 employees and eliminate two locally produced shows due to a loss of federal funding.
SDPB depended on $2.2 million in annual funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was about 20% of SDPB’s budget. Congress and President Donald Trump rescinded $1.1 billion in previously approved nationwide funding for the corporation earlier this summer, causing the corporation to announce it will cease operations.
State funds account for a little more than half of SDPB’s budget, while fundraising, private donations and other sources make up the rest.
The cuts will eliminate two in-depth public affairs journalism programs, “South Dakota Focus” on television and “In The Moment” on the radio. The cuts will also eliminate education resources provided by SDPB and reduce the output of the magazine-style TV program “Dakota Life.”
“South Dakota Focus” Producer and Host Jackie Hendry will be repositioned, Overgaard confirmed in response to a South Dakota Searchlight question. “In The Moment” Host Lori Walsh’s position is on the chopping block along with her show.
Overgaard has been in contact with U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson’s office as well as U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune, who are all Republicans and all voted in favor of rescinding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s funding.
“They’re sorry,” Overgaard said. “But they’re not going to be our champions on the Hill.”
Johnson, who said he donates to the Friends of South Dakota Public Broadcasting, told South Dakota reporters Wednesday at Dakotafest in Mitchell that SDPB “does a really impressive job.”
He supported the recission because he doesn’t believe taxpayers should pay for some of the public broadcasting content he doesn’t agree with in other states, he said. He also spoke of federal budgetary concerns, saying “at some point, when you’re $2 trillion upside down, you do actually have to start tightening the belt.”
SDPB provides non-commercial public radio and television across South Dakota. In addition to news coverage, the organization provides live video and audio feeds of legislative and state government meetings, educational content, cultural programming, high school activities broadcasts, and emergency alerts.
SDPB will continue to deliver content from National Public Radio and the national Public Broadcasting Service. Broadcasts of high school sports and activities, which are among SDPB’s most popular offerings, will also continue.
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Overgaard said the layoffs and cuts weren’t based on analytics.
“It was based on not endangering our state funding right now,” she said.
Last winter, the organization fought off a reduction in state funding proposed by then-Gov. Kristi Noem. State Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, invoked that effort Thursday in a news release while also saying South Dakota’s members of Congress “have forgotten who they serve.”
“This past session, state legislators on both sides of the aisle agreed: SDPB is necessary for the good of our state,” Muckey said. “These cuts were 100% preventable, and if there is any reduction of SDPB programming that South Dakotans know and love, you know who to blame: Sen. Thune, Sen. Rounds, and Rep. Johnson.”
In addition to the 15 layoffs, four open positions will remain unfilled. The layoffs represent about a 25% decrease in SDPB’s current workforce. Overgaard warned of the reduction last month, saying she would make the details public after they were finalized.
The affected employees will remain in their positions until the end of October. Overgaard said some positions could be retained if more funding is secured.
Friends of SDPB, the nonprofit that raises money for the organization, has raised $1.1 million since the potential layoffs were announced. The organization will continue to fundraise through October for the effort to avoid cuts.
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