NBC to cut 700 jobs in overhaul

[Jul]

NBC Universal said Thursday it would cut 700 jobs and streamline its news operations as part an overhaul aimed at exploiting new forms of electronic distribution. NBC, a unit of General Electric Co., said it expects the revamp to save $750 million in operating expenses by 2008. The job cuts would represent about 5 percent of its work force.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061019/ap_en_tv/nbc_universal_cuts . Press Release: [url]http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/corporate-200610190 00000-nbcuniversalannoun.html[/url]

 

[Nertz!]

Will you please stop just posting links and quotes?
Please give us a nutshell of the article.
I really see why you got banned on the other fourm.

 

[nuzguy]

NBCU--NBC Unglued? Amazing how the corporate suits cloud their plans to stage wholesale firings in terms of "anticipating change and adapting" and on and on they go. "Trimming operational costs" is big business double speak for lining the pockets of corporate and its fair-haired boys. Odd, no mention of how much executive salaries will increase--markedly, no doubt, as the top heavy company scrambles for ways to maintain upper level, over paid managers and supervisors, while royally screwing mostly the worker bees who've kept the company going all this time.

Wonder if the dismissals will approximate CBS's method in running off several hundred employees in the mid 80s, when workers literally found pink slips in their company mail boxes with an admonition to turn in their ID cards, collect their belongings, and be clear of the buiilding in a half hour--or be escorted to the door by security.

The American dream (night mare) rolls on.

 

[bk77]

Wonder if the dismissals will approximate CBS's method in running off several hundred employees in the mid 80s, when workers literally found pink slips in their company mail boxes with an admonition to turn in their ID cards, collect their belongings, and be clear of the buiilding in a half hour--or be escorted to the door by security.

The American dream (night mare) rolls on.

Clear Channel pretty much did the same thing at one of our local radio stations back in 1999. Even though they had been doing well as far as billing, sales and ratings goes, one day the entire staff showed up for a meeting only to see the county sheriff in the parking lot. At first many of the staff didn't think of it since the sheriff had guested many times on the morning talk show their sister station had been airing at the time.

Anyway, at the meeting they were told that their station will be going satellite and their services were no longer needed. Only the program director and a part-timer would remain on the job there, and the only reason I heard why Clear Channel kept the part-timer was that he had a disability and was on social security so CC didn't have to pay him as much as the other part-timers, plus the idea of firing someone who was disabled well , you get the idea.

The staff who was let go had exactly 10 minutes to say their good-byes to the other staff, get their personal stuff and had to leave the building and the sheriff was there to make sure the staff didn't stay longer than that. They also were told that if they as much as even showed up again at the building then they could be arrested for trespassing.

And on top of that, only 4 weeks prior to this the staff had to sign a contract that forbid them to seek employment at the other stations in the market ( within 60 miles I believe )for up to one year after if they leave the company. Many of the staff had to go back to either non-broadcast related jobs or seek employement in other parts of the state.

 

[nuzguy]

Sad, but altogether typical of big (and small) business today. Seems that broadcasters are especially adept at coming up with variations on the tacky theme.

The sheriff and the station owner must have been awfully close. Property owners and law enforcement certainly can issue and enforce no trespassing orders (criminal matter) but using law officers to ensure clearing of the building in a civil matter such as firing personnel borders on usurpation of authority.

Reminds me of an educational institution where instructional personnel and staff who were fired found themselves escorted to the door by campus security and issued a criminal trespass warning. But justice will out--when the campus official responsible for such procedures was himself one day dismissed with no notice, the same security officers escorted HIM to the door and he heard the same criminal trespass warning.