Buyouts in Roanoke

boots · Jul 7, 2007

I haven't talked to Randy in a while but from those I've talked to say it's not a pleasant scene. Moddy and a few others with Western Virginia pipelines, may be able to shed more light on this delicate matter.

ondeadline · Jul 7, 2007

Greensboro and now Roanoke ... can Norfolk be far behind?

Moderator1 · Jul 7, 2007

Didn't Norfolk do this already? I know one of their sports guys is leaving in December, or so I'm told, because of a buyout deal.

boots · Jul 7, 2007

ondeadline said:

Greensboro and now Roanoke ... can Norfolk be far behind?
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Nothing official in Norfolk but like the heat wave, it's coming. Many have felt the tremor in the force.

Moderator1 · Jul 7, 2007

Confirmed. They did offer buyouts in Norfolk. Twenty or so took them, including two in sports.

BTExpress · Jul 7, 2007

How much do you have to make to be "considered highly compensated employees, as defined by the Internal Revenue Code." And, is there such a thing as a highly compensated employee in a newsroom?
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Five years ago it was $85,000.

Not sure what it is today.

estreetband75 · Jul 8, 2007

Anybody with good details care to provide us with the heavyweight bout of a few years ago in Darlington?

Hinton, Ed vs. King, "Knappy" Randy

boots · Jul 8, 2007

estreetband75 said:

Anybody with good details care to provide us with the heavyweight bout of a few years ago in Darlington?

Hinton, Ed vs. King, "Knappy" Randy
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Hinton in one is what I heard.

Mystery_Meat · Jul 8, 2007

Moderator1 said:

Roanoke folks got this e-mail:

Dear Colleagues,

You may have heard that yesterday the News & Record laid off 41 employees. This is an unusual move for a Landmark newspaper. It signals a transition from a structure based on a traditional print model to one that is leaner, more diversified and innovative, driven by an increasingly competitive market in Greensboro.

Although Greensboro has struggled with revenue declines for longer than the other Landmark dailies, this situation helps us see that all newspaper companies must make changes and do business differently. We in Roanoke have faced similar market pressures this year, in fact, and as these continue we are considering additional revenue plans and expense control measures to determine the best course for us. At this point, we are working diligently to achieve the necessary expense control through means other than layoffs.

We encourage you to continue to help us find new ways to work -- on both the revenue and expense sides -- to strengthen our business. Our focus on innovation, the growth of new businesses, and Leveraging Difference will serve us well as we go forward. The best way you can help is to work with your manager on continuous improvement ideas and offer new approaches to working competitively and efficiently to add value for our readers and customers. Please share your ideas with your manager.

We have the great fortune to be recognized both by our audience and throughout our industry as an information company with high journalistic standards and strong business results, and we will not compromise those assets as we face these challenges.

The company leadership team and I appreciate and value your teamwork and support. -- Debbie

Debbie Meade
President and Publisher
The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com
540-981-3326
1-800-346-1234, ext. 326
debbie.meade@roanoke.com
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Wow, the situation in Roanoke must have REALLY taken a downturn in the last month!

Hey Debs, guess what YOU'RE made of?

boots · Jul 8, 2007

Mystery Meat said:

Moderator1 said:

Roanoke folks got this e-mail:

Dear Colleagues,

You may have heard that yesterday the News & Record laid off 41 employees. This is an unusual move for a Landmark newspaper. It signals a transition from a structure based on a traditional print model to one that is leaner, more diversified and innovative, driven by an increasingly competitive market in Greensboro.

Although Greensboro has struggled with revenue declines for longer than the other Landmark dailies, this situation helps us see that all newspaper companies must make changes and do business differently. We in Roanoke have faced similar market pressures this year, in fact, and as these continue we are considering additional revenue plans and expense control measures to determine the best course for us. At this point, we are working diligently to achieve the necessary expense control through means other than layoffs.

We encourage you to continue to help us find new ways to work -- on both the revenue and expense sides -- to strengthen our business. Our focus on innovation, the growth of new businesses, and Leveraging Difference will serve us well as we go forward. The best way you can help is to work with your manager on continuous improvement ideas and offer new approaches to working competitively and efficiently to add value for our readers and customers. Please share your ideas with your manager.

We have the great fortune to be recognized both by our audience and throughout our industry as an information company with high journalistic standards and strong business results, and we will not compromise those assets as we face these challenges.

The company leadership team and I appreciate and value your teamwork and support. -- Debbie

Debbie Meade
President and Publisher
The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com
540-981-3326
1-800-346-1234, ext. 326
debbie.meade@roanoke.com
Click to expand...

Wow, the situation in Roanoke must have REALLY taken a downturn in the last month!

Hey Debs, guess what YOU'RE made of?

Click to expand...

Can't blame her for all that is going on there. Lots of coporate pressure to produce and keep profits high.

Mystery_Meat · Jul 8, 2007

Boots: All that is fine, but don't talk about all this diligent work you're doing towards avoiding layoffs and then a month later announce involuntary seperations are likely in the fall. I understand you have to do what you have to do, but there also has to be a better way to describe the situation to your worker bees.

boots · Jul 8, 2007

Mystery Meat said:

Boots: All that is fine, but don't talk about all this diligent work you're doing towards avoiding layoffs and then a month later announce involuntary seperations are likely in the fall. I understand you have to do what you have to do, but there also has to be a better way to describe the situation to your worker bees.
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From what I've been able to gather she was more or less towing the corporate line. Did she lie, not really. But she also wasn't too upfront with info. Remember, she's got to eat too.
It's a bad scene all the way around.

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