• by Ray Schultz , October 22, 2023

WTVP-PBS has halted production of Peoria Magazine, a glossy that covers the Midwestern area. 

The November issue will be its last, at least for now, according to The Peoria Journal Star. The weekly email newsletter will continue through the end of the month. 

Subscribers were invited to request refunds or to donate their remaining balances.

The announcement follows an audit showing financial distress for the PBS TV station and possible “improper” expenditures, the Journal-Star reports. The station has cut $1.5 million from its 2024 budget, and nine employees were laid off on Oct. 13, it adds. 

The station’s CEO, Lesley Matuszak, died on Sept. 28, one day after resigning.