Iowa Public Radio will cut nine positions as it completes a merger of three radio groups into a statewide network.

The cuts represent 14 percent of the network’s workforce. Four of the nine positions are vacant and will not be rehired.

“Several employees qualify for early retirement programs; others are being offered severance packages,” Iowa Public Radio said in a news release.

“This has been a difficult but a necessary decision by our leadership team. Losing talented staff is never easy, and the individuals involved will be missed. However, as with most organizational mergers, we needed to eliminate redundancies within Iowa Public Radio,” Mary Grace Herrington, the network’s CEO, said in a statement.

The reorganization will include moving staff into areas such as news reporting, talk show programming and marketing services.

“We also must live up to our commitments to the Board of Regents to reduce Iowa Public Radio’s dependence on the state’s universities for operational support, especially in light of the financial constraints on the institutions,” Herrington said.

Approximately one-third of Iowa Public Radio’s $6 million operating budget is funded by Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.

The remaining revenue comes from corporate underwriting, memberships and grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Herrington said the network’s individual member count is up 7 percent and membership revenue is up 6 percent compared with last year.

Herrington attributed an increase in donor support to programming changes in 2007, when Iowa Public Radio adopted three formats: news and information, classical music, and alternative music. Station ratings show the number of listeners has increased 22 percent since the merger.

“They have created an organization that is valued all across the state. Iowans like what they are hearing. They are listening more and contributing more to Iowa Public Radio,” said David Miles, president of the Board of Regents.