SI next for layoffs, firings, downsizing, whatever

SI to slash 40 ...

http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20081110/time-inc-to-employees-want-to-quit-were-all-ears/

 

From what I hear, this is likely to hit the website more than the actual magazine.

I say fire Dan Patrick and that should more than make up the money. Don't think that will happen though...

 

Ugh.

At least ESPN is still hiring. There's a war that got one-sided in a hurry.

 

Does this include SI on Campus? That could be a big bulk of freelancers and what not.

 

And the worst part for SI is that they could have bought ESPN. The story's in MacCambridge's book The Franchise (an awesome, awesome book, by the way, for anyone who hasn't read it). Let me grab my copy and see what the story was.

Texaco had bought out ESPN's then parent company, Getty, and put ESPN up for sale. One exec urged Time Inc. to bid for the network. The exec thought it could be renamed, something like the SI Channel. The ex-SI publisher was in favor of the plan, but Time Inc. didn't give approval. ABC bought it for $237 million.

One reason they didn't buy it? Because Time Inc. had just acquired something called Temple Inland, an East Texas paper company! Here's MacCambridge:

"It didn't seem that important at the time. Even in the world of mass-market magazines, there are very few billion-dollar mistakes being made. Rolling Stone ignoring the potential for MTV was one. SI passing at buying ESPN would turn out to be another."

Double ugh.

 

ESPN may be hiring but Disney, the parent company is laying people off.

 

ESPN may be "hiring," but that doesn't mean they aren't having problems of their own. ... And, at least when it comes to the big names, there's been a slowdown of jumping to the WWL recently. ... Web or not, this is beyond the newspapers-are-dying theme and also has to do with the economy ...

just sayin'

 

I don't care how much money ESPN is making. At some point, they're going to look at the absurd amount of money they're spending on NFL and college football coverage and start letting people go.

 

There's not a magazine in the country - or a publisher - I'd feel comfortable working for right now.

 

Not even Media Layoffs Monthly?

 

Hell, SI could cut their high school and fantasy league coverage and I'd be okay with it.