Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil have been closely linked with the “PBS NewsHour” since the show’s beginnings in 1975, for many years as its co-anchors and, since 1981, as the show’s owners and co-producers through MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.

Now, with both men having stepped away from anchoring, their production company has decided to give up its ownership stake in the program, after struggling in recent years to raise enough funds to keep it going.

In an internal letter sent to the staff Tuesday, Mr. Lehrer and Mr. MacNeil said they were talking with the Washington public television station WETA, the program’s co-producer, about taking over ownership of the nonprofit program, which is produced under contract for PBS. MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, which is majority owned by Liberty Media, is “offering to contribute to WETA our ownership stakes in the ‘NewsHour’ and all parts of MLP connected with the program,” the letter said.

The letter said that WETA’s president and chief executive, Sharon Rockefeller, greeted the offer with “delight and enthusiasm,” but that many details remained to be worked out.