Layoffs and Downsizing

Clear Channel Lays Off Radio Personalities Josh Venable, Adrian Hummel, Michael Blake

Word came today that Clear Channel has laid off KDGE-102.1 FM's Josh Venable (again), and KHKS-106.1 Kiss FM's Adrian Hummel and Michael Blake (Kidd Kraddick). This marks another wave off lay-offs, which started at Clear Channel back in 2009, and adds to the chimney-sweeping that's happened at other ... More >>

The Dallas Mourning News

​All day long the emails have come in, each wondering when we'll note the layoffs currently taking place at The Dallas Morning News. Says here that 38 employees have been given their pink slips and this severance agreement intended to fend off age discrimination lawsuits like the one filed followi ... More >>

Dallas News Publisher Jim Moroney Addresses Decision to Shutter Quick, Rumors of Layoffs

​As Merritt noted on Mixmaster earlier, The Dallas Morning News will no longer publish Quick after its August 4 issue, bringing to a close the free weekly's 8-year-long run. Jim Moroney, the publisher and CEO at The News, tells Unfair Park he broke the news to its staff at around 10:30 this mornin ... More >>

"A Very Sad Day For the Dallas Independent School District" As 450 Cut From Central Staff

​A couple of hours ago, Tawnell Hobbs wrote that she'd heard 250 central staffers at the Dallas Independent School District were being laid off today. Matter of fact, says the district in a release made available moments ago, the total number of central staff positions cut today is almost twice th ... More >>

So, Teachers Who Take $10,000 Buyout Could Still Wind Up Working for DISD Next Year?

​Last night, the Dallas Independent School District board of trustees approved that buyout plan for on-campus full-timers wanting to take the money and run before they're laid off. At which point, the district handed to principals a FAQ, which the Dallas Friends of Public Education posted to its w ... More >>

DISD Trustee Eric Cowan On "Mass Layoffs," "The New Reality" and How We Got Here

Patrick MichelsEric Cowan​Dallas Independent School District trustee Eric Cowan's first blog entry of 2011 is a sobering follow-up to Superintendent Michael Hinojosa's budget-gutting presentation to the board on Thursday: "The Economics of Public Education." There's no easy way to sum it up, as Co ... More >>

Loose Ends: Layoffs at City Hall, Another Win for History and Blockbuster's Still Bleeding

​A few afternoon follow-ups to some morning items, plus a note from City Hall, where pink slips are going out in advance of tomorrow's scheduled layoffs. (Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm says she's laying off 840, with the hopes of hiring back 500.) Rudy has word about some losses at the Meyerson Sy ... More >>

Mary Suhm Expains to City Council How She'll Try to Save 500 City of Dallas Jobs

​As the council begins commenting on the proposed FY2009-2010 budget, one issue comes up time and again: the layoff of 840 city employees, which will begin on Friday. Moments ago, the city manager further explained how the process will work: When the reduction-in-force notices are sent out at the ... More >>

More Cops Means Less Service?

Belo Will "Continue to Focus on Expense Reductions and Operational Realignment"

Weeks after completing its latest round of penny-saving layoffs, which were preceded by pay cuts and benefits trims, A.H. Belo this morning reported its first-quarter '09 results -- and they are significant. The publisher of The Dallas Morning News reports a first quarter net loss of $103.1 millio ... More >>

Among Those Laid Off By Clear Channel Are Three Familiar Local On-Air Talents

Courtesy George Gimarc/94.5 ReunionVery Edge-y: The Edge's Josh Venable with U2's The EdgeBack in January, Clear Channel laid off 1,800 employees, several of whom were good Friends of Unfair Park and most of whom worked in ad sales. Today comes news that the San Antonio-based conglomerate has laid o ... More >>

From Inside the News-room, the "Trauma" of Layoffs and Feeling "Trapped" Afterward

Tom Huang, a Dallas Morning News assistant managing editor and Poynter Institute ethics and diversity fellow, posted this morning an essay titled "Living with Layoffs at the Dallas Morning News," which speaks for itself. This excerpt seems particularly relevant a week after A.H. Belo Corp. laid off ... More >>

KERA-FM Says NPR Hasn't Asked the Station to Hold a Pledge Drive for the Mothership

At the end of March, The Washington Post ran a piece in which some National Public Radio hosts and higher-ups discussed the idea of having NPR member stations raise funds on the mothership's behalf. Because, after all, NPR's struggling like every other media organization: In December, it axed two po ... More >>

At The News Today, "D Day"

This morning, A.H. Belo Corporation announced that layoffs at The Dallas Morning News will begin promptly, with "the majority of the actions [taking place] today and tomorrow." By the time the company's done with its so-called "cost-cutting measures," it will have eliminated 14 percent of its total ... More >>

Neimans Responds to the Now-Ubiquitous Rumor Concerning "More Layoffs Monday"

In recent days -- at least, ever since this item ran -- I've gotten, oh, maybe 15 e-mails from so-called Neiman Marcus insiders claiming the company's close to collapse and, at the very least, preparing for yet another round of deep, painful layoffs. Someone posted such a comment to Unfair Park only ... More >>

As WFAA-Channel 8 Adds Third Morning Anchor, Belo Announces 150 Layoffs

On Monday, Ed Bark noted that WFAA-Channel 8 has hired Kristin Mitchell as a co-host on Good Morning Texas -- making that show a threesome now, as the former St. Louis anchor joins a set already populated by Gary Cogill and Amy Vanderoef. A Friend of Unfair Park is not impressed with B ... More >>

Today In Music News: Mail-In Music Is Dying, Coolio's In Trouble, Lil' Kim Sees Dead People, and Chris Brown and Rihanna Might Be Dueting

 Your daily dose of national music news for Wednesday, March 11, 2009... Looks like you won't be able to use a fake name to get 12 CD's for the price of one anymore: The mail-in BMG Music Service is done. Washed up rapper-turned-reality star, Coolio, was charged with possession of crac ... More >>

Morning News Publisher Discusses the "Unfortunate Coincidence" of Belo Bonuses and Charging for Online Content

James Moroney IIIOn Friday, A.H. Belo Corporation announced that it would, yet again, lay off about 500 more workers at all of its properties, among them The Dallas Morning News and The Providence Journal. At the same time, Belo managers, in the newspaper group and in the corporate offices, were rec ... More >>

Following News of More Belo Layoffs, Union Demands Robert Decherd Take a Pay Cut

A.H. Belo Corp. CEO Robert DecherdA.H. Belo announced this morning that it is going to "cut approximately 500 jobs, or more than 14 percent of its workforce," at all of its properties, among them The Dallas Morning News and the Providence Journal. Which is why a Friend of Unfair Park sends this anno ... More >>

Wee, Ryan Seacrest is Coming to Town. Well, to Mix 102.9's Afternoon Drive Slot, Anyway.

A man of his word, Clear Channel's Dallas market manager J.D. Freeman did in fact call back with some news concerning programming changes at the San Antonio-based conglomerate's Dallas properties. As mentioned earlier, two KDMX-FM (Mix 102.9) on-air personalities were part of the mass layoffs today: ... More >>

Radio Nowhere: Reports Say Clear Channel Due for "Massive Restructuring"

The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post are reporting today that as early as next week, Clear Channel Communications will "begin implementing a massive restructuring plan that seeks to cut $400 million in costs at the company." Both stories say the layoffs are to begin on Tuesday; says The Pos ... More >>

Dallas Observer's Parent Company Announces Pay Cuts and Layoffs

Twice today I've been asked about several posts on The Latest Word, one of our sister blogs out of Denver, referring to layoffs and pay cuts taking place throughout the Village Voice Media chain. The Dallas Observer, of course, is among the 15 papers in the chain, formerly known as New Times Inc.Spe ... More >>

The DMN Offers Up It's Year-End List--And, Yep, It's A Doozy.

The pop music coverage over at the Dallas Morning News after its most recent round of layoffs and buyouts (which saw longtime critics Mike Daniel take a buyout and Thor Christensen laid off) has been, well, a tad underwhelming of late, to put it mildly. It certainly doesn't doesn't help that copy no ... More >>

Thousands of EDS Employees Were Laid Off By HP This Week

A Friend of Unfair Park who works -- sorry, make that worked -- for Electronic Data Systems in Plano sends this missive:Amazing how the DMN or any of the local news outlets has not reported the fact EDS has laid off 8,000 to 10,000 people this week. I was one of them on Monday. I will be on the payr ... More >>

Ad Agency imc2 Subtracts Even More, But You Probably Already Knew That

"One of the Darkest Days in the History of the Dallas ISD."

News Publishes DISD's RIF List

DISD's Shell Game

Crises Management

The Scene From 3700 Ross Yesterday

Yet Again, Live From 3700 Ross

The DISD's Exigency Strategy

Some 900 AA Flight Attendants Get a Choice: Get Pushed Out or Jump from the "Voluntary Bridge to Retirement"

Dimming at the Star-Telegram, As 130 Staffers Are About to Lose a Job

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming at KTVT-Channel 11

John Mayer Has a Message For Dallas, Surrounding Areas

Sangers? Gone. Foley's? Gone. Macy's? Yup, Gone as of Today

Belo Earnings: Could Be Better, Could Be Worse

Mong Hit

Hard times

This too shall pass--like a kidney stone

"Not For Everyone"? Sure Sounds Like It

Is GuideLive Dying? Mong Responds.

Pre-emptive Spin

AJR article has News crew feeling apprehensive

The Missing People's Agenda

Plus: The Turkey Test; New Sheriff in Town

Deciphering the News

Belo's answers raise more questions

Sol Brothers

Mondays in the Sun takes a whimsical look at unemployment on the coast of Spain

The View From the Bottom

What's it like surviving the telecom bust? Numbers alone don't tell the story.

Broadcast News

After layoffs, KERA tries to assuage staffers and make itself more relevant

Letters, Week of November 22

Pants on Fire, Belo Death Star

BeloWatch