Insisting the exits of a handful of The Early Show staffers was just a part of a corporate restructuring, CBS News goes for overkill to prove its point: It's laying off 1 percent of its entire workforce. (No on-air talent though, thank heavens!) Given that the unit has about 1,200 staffers, that's really just 12 positions gone — far less than the 700 NBC is slashing. And with their morning show exits, aren't we basically halfway there already?
Though we're too weak to tally the actual percentage of Newsweek's staff that is leaving through buyout offers, some 111 of them will be gone by the end of the year. The most senior of them will collect two year's pay as severance (just enough to float them until they can find another gig that pays them such extreme fees) and, since more staffers accepted buyouts than expected (run for the exits!), at least some of the expiring posts will be refilled — with younger, cheaper, and more easily molded minions.
Details publisher Chris Mitchell moves over to Wired to take the same slot, left empty by The Atlantic's poaching of Jay Lauf. [MIN]
Where have all the critics gone? News hit yesterday that Newsday movie editor Pat Wiedenkeller and veteran critics Jan Stuart and Gene Seymour were accepting buyout offers, which sent the world of film scribes into a tizzy as everyone tried to figure out whether this was more evidence of a Kill The Critic trend, now that newspapers are getting out of the business of reporting on anything other than Britney Spears. Those worried about the job security of the critic niche have ample evidence; the Daily News' Jack Matthews retired last month. And don't forget even Maxim had to fire its movie critic Pete Hammond, but that was mostly because he had terrible taste in film. So is there reason to trust all this fear-mongering? Let's put it this way: If you're paid to write down whether you love or hate something, your job is on the line.
Katharine Weymouth, publisher of the Washington Post, sent staffers a memo today about its buyout plan to cut staff. They're calling the program, which is only for non-Guld members, "Voluntary Retirement Incentive Programs (VRIPs)." It would've done them well not to include the acronym "RIP" in their plan, but so be it. There are a few eligibility requirements, like being older than 50 and work at least 22.5 hours a week. So basically, that includes everyone the Post would be looking to excise. CONTINUED »
If you're working at Bloomberg and making over $200,000, sorry: Your salary isn't going to get any higher right now. The current economic client has the financial news giant hedging its bets, with a hiring freeze en route. If it makes you feel any better, though, editor-in-chief Matt Winkler got himself a bigger conference room. [NYP]
A whole slew of folks are accepting buyout offers to leave the Los Angeles Times as part of yet another round of Sam Zell-issued job cuts. The person we're saddest to see go? Darrell Kunitomi, tour guide. [LAO]
O'SHEA CAN YOU SEE For the fourth time in three years, Tribune Co.'s Los Angeles Times ousts a chief. Gone is editor James O'Shea, removed by publisher David Hiller for refusing to cut jobs in the newsroom, which happened to publisher Jeffrey Johnson last year. And just when we almost started believing the gospel that suggested we start believing the tarot card reading that hinted new owner Sam Zell might take pity of his work force. [NYT]
GRASS IS GREENER Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia chief Susan Lyne might be looking to move on, with her $4.4 million contract technically expiring yesterday; she stays on with its auto-renew clause. Under her tenure, MSLO shares have seen their $20 valuation halved. Now watch as she goes hunting for a higher-paying gig. [KK]
CBS News isn't the only one spreading the holiday cheer with layoffs.
With major veterans being shown the door at MSNBC this week, while the lucky few work out their exit deals, some might think that come this weekend, it'll be time to relax around 30 Rock.
Wrong.
We hear next week is going to be brutal as well, with more people informed they're services are no longer needed. CONTINUED »
Television industry power agency N.S. Bienstock – run by Richard Leibner, they rep, like, everyone, including Dan Rather, Bill O'Reilly, Paula Zahn, and Diane Sawyer – is currently negotiating the exit deals for a whole slew of MSNBC staffers. One source is calling the severance packages "tight," and says the bulk of them will likely include a few weeks pay and 12 months of medical benefits (i.e. GE will pay for their first year of COBRA).
Extra holiday bonus: They won't have to commute to Secaucus. Oh, wait, they already gave them that perk.
The Post's Peter Lauria today updates the story we already told you about on Monday: that Jeff Zucker-ordered savings in NBC's news division is going to amount to massive job cuts.
He's looking to save some $20 to $40 million, with pink slips coming this week or next at MSNBC and NBC News; CNBC will be saved, supposedly, because they need all the horsepower against Fox Business Network they can muster. Two big names are known to be out the door: primetime programming chief and Bill Wolf (holdover from Rick Kaplan's era) and editorial director Davidson Goldin (who came over when Dan Abrams was general manager). But those helping build the competitive primetime slate at MSNBC shouldn't have much to fear; Zucker wants to keep that spirit alive. Happy holidays!
After its $875 ($925?) million purchase of Oxygen Media, NBC Universal is laying off, oh, 25 percent of its staff. Or, as they say in spokesperson talk: "We have consolidated functions and operations, resulting in job impact." (Whatever will this mean for Lisa Gersh?) [Variety]
"There are going to be firings very soon — everybody is terrified."
That's the promise being made to us by a former NBC News network insider who maintains close ties with Mama Peacock's news division. The axings, to be sure, will be part of a larger cost cutting move; "tens of millions is the figure being thrown around."
"There's even one rumor that the Nightly News could be shot on one 'flash cam'. Which i can't imagine." Heh. Us either.
Faced with paying the bill for their new Eighth Avenue building, or something, the New York Times' Bill Keller announced that "for the first time in recent memory" there will be newsroom cuts. No journalists!, though, who are apt to generate complaints from other media outlets, but rather clerical gigs are gonna be axed. "Fax that yourself," will be a common future complaint. [NYO]
So who was that mystery "celebrity" chef trawling Craigslist for his (or her!) new apprentice? Officially speaking, we have absolutely no idea. Unofficially speaking? The results are in, and an overwhelming majority of you (or at least 30%) avow it's Rocco DiSpirito.
There’s no better cure for the Mondays than looking for jobs, and no better cure for hating your job than reading job listings. Each week, we remind you that as bad your job is, it could be a lot worse.
This week, Working Mother magazine is looking for a new photo editor. If you have four years of experience photographing tuna casseroles, this job could be yours. Plus if you like dealing with stressed out moms. Full listing after the jump. CONTINUED »
Because it wouldn't be the holiday season without job cuts at big media companies, USA Today is getting a jump start on stuffing stockings with coal: They're slashing 45 newsroom jobs, or 9 percent of its 500-ish editorial staff. Reason? Despite the header you read on its green Money section, the paper isn't making it like it used to.
"Employees with more than 15 years experience or fewer than five years of online experience will be eligible for a buyout, USA Today Editor-in-Chief Ken Paulson said yesterday in a memo to the staff." Translation: If you're an old, stodgy newspaper veteran, get out! And if you're an old, stodgy online veteran, please stay. [Bloomberg]
There’s no better cure for the Mondays than looking for jobs, and no better cure for hating your job than reading job listings. Each week, we remind you that as bad your job is, it could be a lot worse.
This week, Donald Trump is hiring. As if working for Donald, the real estate mogul, wasn’t repellent enough, here’s an opportunity to promote Donald, the scholar. Trump U. is looking for a creative director for the only online university with the Trump seal of approval.
If you have five years of marketing experience, this terrible job could be yours. Full listing after the jump. CONTINUED »
Do you watch ABC's Ugly Betty? Neither do we! But that doesn't mean we're not more than happy to acknowledge its multifaceted contribution to society.
First and foremost, it's inspired strong, intelligent women with great personalities and below-average looks to follow their dreams of working in completely superficial environments where they'll constantly be judged based on their physical attributes.
Second, it's proved an invaluable comeback vehicle for previously forgotten-about actress/singer Vanessa Williams!
And third, it's evidently helped to generate a significant rise in employment opportunities for Hispanics at all the major networks.
Editorial Director
