According to the Hollywood Reporter, the latest round of layoffs brings the company's total payroll down to 70 or 80. Just for perspective, Nikki Finke reported that they had 224 staffers in November 2008. How many more tear-filled dinners can they stand before they go from the Weinstein Co. to just the Weinsteins?

According to The Wrap, Reed Business Information, Variety's parent company, is laying off 7% of its total staff, and warning employees that unpaid furloughs may be coming next. Among the victims: Michael Speier, Variety's executive editor.

Update: All told, we hear that around eight or ten editorial jobs were cut in today's round of layoffs. Others to go include several copy editors, a web editor, an art department staffer, New York-based assistant managing editor Dade Hayes and L.A.-based reporter Dan Frankel. These follow a previous round of cuts in January.

Dude it took us forever just to find the actual name of that show, which is maybe why he got canned? Cityfile says the show got canceled because of "budgetary constraints." CNN says, ha, he wanted to spend more time with his family. Aha.

Everyone please share your fondest reminisces of D.L. Hughley's finest CNN moments in the comments—here on the internet you have as much space as you need. [Cityfile]

A tipster tells us that more layoffs are coming down at Viacom today: "They are cleaning house at VH1/MTV Linked Group right now. Like more than half the people involved with the website and the video just got laid off. HR is making appointments to call every freelancer this afternoon." Skeery. If you have more info, email us.
UPDATE: Another tipster adds: "Freelancers are being called in because when they hit their 9 mon point they have to leave. They can come back 3 mon later and be considered a new hire. They're trying to get rid of the perma-lancer thing that went down Dec. 07 but still not hire anyone as staff."

Some freelancers were given a 3 mon extension on their contract but they can only be given it once before HR gives them the axe.


An analyst thinks the New York Times Co. could raise $1.2 billion by selling the Boston Globe, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, its new headquarters building, and its stake in the Red Sox. On one hand it would mean taking a huge loss on those assets, but on the other hand $1.2 billion is not that bad, considering that it's more than the market cap of the NYT Co.

Keith Kelly confirms our rumor from yesterday about Newsweek closing its London bureau. He also says that Newsweek staffers are pissed they had to read about their magazine's big redesign in a New York Times story. Which is understandable. Is that how the Historical Jesus would act?


Five large NY/ NJ newspapers including the New York Daily News and the Newark Star-Ledger are all going to share content with each other, probably so that some of them can lay off some reporters.

Playboy had an atrocious fourth quarter, losing $145 million, and now says that it's "open" to discussion of selling its flagship magazine. They should really have to change the company name if they do that.

Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 10:21 AM
Subject: Business Update

Team:

After months of making hard decisions across our businesses to help us adjust to a weakening economy, we’re now faced with the harsh reality of having to eliminate jobs in some areas.

This was not an easy decision, nor one made lightly. The people affected today are our friends and colleagues, and we are doing all we can for them and their families during what we know will be a difficult transition.

Change is never easy, and becomes even harder to embrace during times of turbulence and uncertainty. With that in mind, I’ve asked each business leader to reach out to their group with more information on this announcement as soon as possible.

I realize this is an extremely difficult day for everyone in our group. But despite the challenges before us, I remain confident and optimistic about our future, because you really are the best team in the business.

Anne

• Disney-ABC TV to cut 400 jobs [Variety]

1. Be honest: The worst thing a layoff can be is full of shit. At least have the common courtesy to tell the truth. From MTV's memo today:

We all know there's a fundamental restructuring of our entire economy going on, and it extends beyond our borders. This is not just about MTVN, Viacom or even sister media companies – it's happening in every industry, all over the world. This doesn't make it easier to say goodbye to people we love and respect, but it is the hard truth. In these tough times, we are responsible for sustaining and reinventing our company as thoughtfully as we can. The changes we're making today are necessary, difficult, and the responsible way for us to move forward.

This is true, straightforward, and not patronizing.

2. But not too honest: Perfect honesty demands admitting that the people you laid off are the ones you consider disposable. Don't do that. You must, must fellate your departing employees to the extent possible without seeming absolutely fake. Elsewhere in that MTV memo:

Everyone here contributes to MTVN and Viacom every single day and night without exception. We hate to see dedicated friends and co-workers leave us, and we say goodbye with care, gratitude, support and respect.

The first sentence is patently false for any large organization. The second sentence may or may not be true. Still, it's a nice thought.

3. Remember your audience: Your audience here—your most important audience—is people who are being laid off. Employees with safe jobs, the media, and the general public will all get hold of these memos and read them, but really, you have to cater to the dead here. From Viacom's memo today:

Viacom's long-term health will depend on our shared commitment to adapt, to innovate and to make difficult choices. To compete and thrive, we need to create an organization and a cost structure that are in step with the evolving economic environment.

Do you know how much newly laid-off employees care about Viacom's long-term health? Not much. They just got laid off. Keep the focus on the people.

4. Look like you put some thought into it: Being cold and perfunctory is almost as bad as being a see-through fake. Sure, executives and their flacks would rather be sniffing blow in a golf cart than approving layoff memos. But you people still have jobs, so suck it up and try to say something non-robotic. Universal Pictures' memo today is only four short paragraphs, the last three of which say this:

While much has been accomplished to find necessary savings, we regret that we must also reduce headcount by around 3%. No company likes to have to make these kinds of decisions, and certainly we are no exception. We want to assure you that everyone has done their best to keep job cuts to an absolute minimum.

The process of communicating with those individuals whose positions are affected has begun today and will continue for the next few days.

We appreciate the effort from everyone who has participated in this difficult process.

Yada yada. The tone is indistinguishable from an internal memo announcing that staplers must be signed out of the supply closet from now on. Shed a tear or two, fuckers.

5. Every time you use corporate doubletalk, an angel dies: Actual human sentences—try them! When ushering hundreds of people out the door, avoid standard management-speak, like this from Paramount's memo today:

Without question, the changes we implement today required us to make difficult choices. We take these steps after a careful analysis of our overall business and as part of a broader strategy to overcome the challenges of this unusual time in the market and to chart a successful course for the future.

As we look ahead, we are encouraged by the strength of our slate, the quality of our creative partners, the innovation we see on the lot every day and the projects we have in development. These assets, coupled with your talent and hard work, I believe will enable us to remain strong over the long term.

With that, your newly unemployed workers may leverage their strategic capabilities to steal a lot of stuff on the way out. [Pic via]

Is it true, John? Email us if you know more. This would be quite a blow for, ah, journalism—how many people have interviewed both Mariah Carey and Hans Blix?

We've gotten these other harrowing reports from the trenches as well (new reports added to the top):

• "Its bad at Vh1 on Hudson Street. Dozens let go. Security guys on each floor "observing". Lots of staff across the board gone, some that have been here for many years. The mood is bleak."
• "Awkward day here at MTVN. I'm a humble Production Assistant for Nickelodeon, and we just found out all we low level staff are okay for the time being. The layoffs on our floor were pretty dramatic: an entire department laid off, and our senior vice president, and a department head at N@N. Looks to be more of a management/higher-up bloodbath from here. And Nickelodeon is one of the few brands actually making money..."
• "I work at 1515 Broadway (the Viacom building) and in the elevators, the newstory about the 850 layoffs keeps coming up on the captivate tvs. Pretty classy..."
• "So far at least 5 people have been let go from MTV.com. Mostly producers and associate producers who were supposed to be creating original content. Well, they haven't been producing anything for awhile and the writing was on the wall."

At least we'll always have this Conor Oberst interview. To remember the good times.

Anne Thompson had a first glimpse at the memo, which, as death warrants go, comes nowhere near the humane, chummy poignancy achieved in May by the executioners at Warner Bros. We guess they really are cutting back on everything, but at least they managed to promote their 2008-09 slate while they were at it. Stay classy, 'Mount. Follow jump for the full text.

TO: Paramount Pictures Employees
FR: Rob Moore and John Lesher
RE: Announcement
DT: July 24, 2008

As you know, we announced last month that we would be reorganizing the Paramount and Vantage marketing, distribution and physical production departments to maximize efficiencies. As part of that process, we analyzed areas of redundancies and today, we announced we would be eliminating about 60 positions across the company. Many of the changes were a direct result of the consolidation of these departments and some were the result of identifying additional opportunities to streamline the organization. The goal is to be strategic and disciplined about how we manage the business for the long term, and to take into account the dynamic nature of the challenging marketplace.

As we have rebuilt and grown the organization, Paramount has consistently looked to evolve in a way that best serves our filmmakers, their creativity and our consumers. We are so grateful for the immense contributions by so many Paramount and Vantage professionals who have been instrumental in our successes so far.

Moving forward, this new structure provides us with a solid foundation as we prepare for our upcoming slate of diverse films, including The Duchess, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, G.I. Joe, Star Trek and Transformers 2, to name a few.

None of our successes are possible without your continued support and hard work – we really appreciate it.

Best, Rob and John

###

UPDATE: An astute reader points out that the Paramount terminations are across the board, not solely at Paramount Vantage. This PR-massaged studio bloodletting can be so complicated!

"We anticipate these cutbacks will be temporary, and that many employees will be called back to work once the strike concludes," she added. "We regret that we must take these actions; please know that we have delayed as long as we can. We appreciate the focus and teamwork you've all shown during this difficult time."

As if this development weren't depressing enough, Var notes employee-reduction initiatives at Walden Media and Innovative Artists (and more are sure to come now that Warner Bros. has broken the ice—get excited), and adds the fact that there's only one scripted television series still in production in L.A. Please join us in issuing a resigned sigh as we helplessly await the faint sound of the 2007 television season's soul-chilling death-rattle immediately following the final take of an October Road location shoot.

• Warner sets layoffs due to strike [Variety]

The Mouse House will announce within the next 10 days that it's cutting back on the number of films it makes to around eight per year — it currently releases around 18 — and will substantially reduce its workforce. All movies will be Disney-branded, meaning companies like Touchstone could be vastly diminished.

The cutbacks will be far greater than many anticipated, as Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook looks to reinvent the architecture of his studio. Move reflects an effort to improve the studio's return on investment and get infrastructure back into line.

Suddenly, CEO Bog Iger's Monday morning urging of his employees to "savor" Pirates 2's record-breaking achievement seems forbodingly sinister; if any Disney cast members receive an invitation from Iger or Cook to attend a celebration to "thank" the staff for all the hard work they contributed to the movie's success, they should quickly gather their things and escape the lot, knowing that they've narrowly avoided a gruesome massacre disguised as a cheery ice cream social.

• Mouse to cut back on pix, personnel [Variety]
• Bob Iger Praises Keira Nightly [sic], Proud Of All His Cast Members [Defamer]