FOREST CITY--Loss of funding from several revenue sources has resulted in a restructuring at WNCW 88.7, effective today.

Three positions were eliminated--development director, corporate services/traffic coordinator and World Cafe local host. The business manager position was reclassified. Station staff were notified of the changes last Thursday.

Earlier this summer, college administration asked WNCW management to devise a reorganization plan that would effectively address the budget concerns and would preserve the programming that members and supporters of the station expect, said Isothermal Community Colleges Director of Marketing and Community Relations Mike Gavin.

WNCW is located on Isothermal's campus and is one of three state-funded public radio stations at North Carolina's community colleges.

The North Carolina General Assembly stripped funding from those stations this year, resulting in a loss of around $200,000 around one-sixth of the station's annual operating budget.

Gavin cited that as well as a drop in underwriting and membership and a drop in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a federally funded program, as the reason for the change.

This was the way it was determined that would best absorb those financial losses while sustaining the level of programming, he said. There will be no difference in the on-air programming.

The station held an emergency fundraising campaign at the end of July, Gavin said, that raised more than $140,000. That helped this from being more severe, he said.

Three of the four people affected by the reorganization were offered other positions at the college, including the reclassified WNCW position. One individual resigned, and as a result, the business manager position will be advertised, Gavin said.

Reorganization of public radio stations is not isolated to Isothermal. In January WHQR in Wilmington cut 45 percent of its payroll, leaving the station with nine full-time staff members, down from 14.

While the decision was deeply considered and did not come easily, Gavin said, it was made in the best interest of the station.

The plan went to great lengths in providing alternatives for the affected employees, he said. It was for the ultimate preservation of programming for listeners and a great value for underwriting supporters.