Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/31)

According to several good sources, there will be a companywide meeting Monday (3/30) at the Tampa Tribune, apparently to announce additional layoffs and/or buyouts throughout all divisions. Executives supposedly are on the chopping block this time. Also: Elimination of monthly magazine produced by special publications for subscribers in upscale ZIP codes. Also hearing rumblings about another web reduction (on the presses, that is, not the Internet) but that would be surprising, given the recent redesign.

More details as they're known and/or rumored.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa

The day is still young, as far as newsfolk go, but today's expected layoffs apparently have affected only the advertising department. Several sales managers were let go this morning. In other news:

* Flair, a glossy magazine produced for subscribers in upscale ZIP codes, also was eliminated. No word on the fate of the staff, who work separate of the newsroom.

* The daily product is slated to convert to a 44-inch web on Wednesday, although there's been no public announcement as far as I can tell.

Meanwhile, the earlier rumor about reducing publication frequency is beginning to rear its ugly head once again. This time, the word is being attributed to specific departments within the company. I have not heard this directly, but I am hearing it from an interesting cross-section of people. At this point, it's nothing more than a rumor ... regard it as such.

More information as it becomes available.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa

From tbo.com:

Media General Lays Off 53 Today In Tampa Offices
The Florida Communications Group Monday laid off 53 employees and eliminated 12 open positions due to continuing declines in the local advertising market, executives said.
"The various economic drivers of our business continue to be off and we've just not seen any uptick whatsoever," said John Schueler, president of FCG, part of Media General Inc.
FCG operates The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and WFLA News Channel 8. In addition, the company ceased publishing the Flair and Skirt lifestyle publications. Other specialty publications are also under review, and the company is considering closing some news bureaus, Schueler said.
Most of the laid-off employees worked in operations rather than newsrooms, which have seen their own layoffs in the last 12 months.
The company also added three more unpaid furlough days to the existing 10 furlough days all employees must take by the end of the third quarter.
After the cuts, FCG will employ 1,047 people, and it remains profitable, Schueler said.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

According to the St. Petersburg Times, among the cutbacks was WFLA's primary sports anchor, Dave Reynolds, leaving the station with one sports reporter. And how will the station handle sports coverage? It'll use Tampa Tribune staffers.

Exactly. Because they don't have enough to do.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

Wonderful...

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

Well, isn't that just fucking grand. Thanks, dickheads.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

I can only assume that the three more furlough days will trickle down throughout the rest of the chain. Or maybe that was the point of splitting up into regional entities.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

I got into print because I have a high, squeaky voice, and I curse and stutter my way through every conversation.

I'm assuming many of my print peers are the same way.

Boom goes the dynamite in Tampa.

I've felt like the execs have long thought that any dumbass can write a story. I guess they've decided any dumbass can read off a prompter.

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

Back when I worked at MG they were calling that "convergence" ...

 

Re: Monday in Tampa (UPDATED 3/30)

Damned braggarts.