Deep cuts at CBS-owned stations
Dozens of employees have been cut at CBS owned-and-operated stations across the country: 30 at WBZ, 17 at WBBM (”the most dramatic single-day newsroom purge in Chicago TV history”) and 14 at KPIX. The staffing reductions swept across all departments, even the web in Boston. “We have to rethink how we do business,” said WBBM President and GM Joe Ahern. “We’re not unique in the economic environments we’re all involved in.”
I’m afraid this is just the beginning, folks. While local TV is a very profitable business and certainly not threatened like the newspaper industry, declining audiences and a softening economy will bring tough times in the months and years ahead. More than ever, it’s critical for stations to do their best to protect and grow their online initiatives — a tall order when fighting tooth and nail for every rating and share point with fewer resources.
12 comments April 1st, 2008
