Cuts needed, Tribune's Zell says, 'so we can survive' (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Baltimore Sun ^ | July 23, 2008 | Lorraine Mirabella

[abb]

Real estate mogul Sam Zell, who took control of media giant Tribune Co. about six months ago, defended yesterday the staffing and page cuts under way at The Sun and its other newspapers as necessary in the worst advertising climate in decades.

In a conference call with Tribune Co. reporters, Zell said reducing staff by as much as 25 percent in some newsrooms and shrinking and redesigning the company's newspapers were the only options to ensure short-term survival and to allow a longer-term reinvention of the American newspaper.

"We're looking at some of the worst advertising numbers in the history of the world," Zell said.

"I have a responsibility ... to keep this business alive when cash flow has eroded at a prodigious level," Zell said.

"We went through every one of our organizations with a goal of getting efficient numbers up and head counts down so we can survive to live another day," he said.

"It is very clear ... the role of the newspaper is changing and we need to size our organization and our newspaper to reflect the realities of the marketplace," Zell said.

The Baltimore Sun Media Group, which publishes The Sun and community newspapers, is eliminating about 100 jobs through voluntary buyouts, layoffs and attrition. The Sun's newsroom will lose 55 people, or about 20 percent of its work force.

Other Tribune newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Hartford Courant and the Orlando Sentinel, are also making reductions.

Zell stopped short of saying that no additional reductions would be needed.

snip

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Don’t forget the employee pension fund....

[bert]

“It appears thet the low ad sales is a vote of no confidence in Zell and for the paper to survive, he must sell to a real newspaper man, one with printers ink in his veins” a soon to be laid off newsroom staffer was heard to say.