Lay-offs Hit Univision

Univision is announcing layoffs Wednesday, the next major step in the Hispanic media giant’s complete makeover. Numbers are not specified in the company-wide memo, but a source close to the company tells Deadline 7% of jobs will be eliminated.

The move is part of a major restructuring and comes days after  Univision Communications’ CFO Tonia O'Connor departed.  O'Connor had been a longtime senior executive for the Spanish-language TV group. Previously, O’Connor has been executive vice president of distribution sales and marketing for since January 2008.

Vince Sadusky, who succeeded Randy Falco as CEO in June, said in a memo to employees that he is implementing a return to basics after the company pursued “many experiments” during the Falco regime.

Vince Sadusky

“One of the benefits of coming into a company with fresh eyes is that it is easier to have a clear look at these efforts without emotion and history,” he said. “In doing so, it became clear to me that many of these new ideas had eaten up a disproportionate part of our resources, whereas some of our most core activities had been significantly under-resourced.”

In a statement, the company offered more context for the layoffs and the plan to refocus on what the company called its “core mission” of serving the U.S. Hispanic community.

“We have concluded a company-wide strategic review aimed at reorienting our operations to ensure we are positioned to most effectively compete in an evolving media marketplace,” the statement said.
“We are implementing a plan to rejuvenate and re-energize the company with a re-dedication to our core mission of serving the US Hispanic community. As part of this plan we are both reducing our workforce in various divisions around the company, as well as adding resources and capabilities to strengthen our core business. While it is extremely difficult to lose valued employees, we are confident that our actions – along with our previously-announced process to explore the sale of the Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion portfolio –  will enable us to focus on and invest in our core assets, which is necessary to ensure we remain the leading and unwavering voice, advocate and source of information for the Hispanic community.”