Los Angeles Times To Cut 74 Newsroom Positions

The Los Angeles Times is cutting its newsroom staff, becoming the latest news organization to contract amid economic pressures brought on by advertising and print readership declines.

The Times is eliminating 74 positions in the newsroom, representing about 13% of the total.

Full-time and temporary workers will be let go, including a handful of managers. Reporting positions are expected to be largely spared but the production staff will be scaled back. Nearly a third of the cuts come from news and copy editor ranks. Some photographers, audience engagement editors and audio producers will also be affected.

Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida announced the layoffs Wednesday in a note to the newsroom, saying the decision was “made more urgent by the economic climate and the unique challenges of our industry.”

“Decisions that result in talented staffers losing their jobs are agonizing,” Merida wrote. “We will be saying goodbye to some tremendous colleagues.”

L.A. Times Guild leader Reed Johnson called the layoffs announcement “outrageous and reckless,” noting that 57 LAT Guild members, including several union leaders, were being let go.

The restructuring represents the first significant belt tightening since Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michele, acquired the paper five years ago from Tribune Publishing, which no longer exists as a stand-alone company. Since then, The Times’ newsroom has been largely protected from massive layoffs that have hobbled many other news outlets.

When the Soon-Shiong family purchased the paper, The Times was shedding print subscribers and had just 125,000 digital subscribers. The family invested millions of dollars to help the organization recover from more than a decade of devastating cost-cutting, management missteps and a flight of journalistic talent under Tribune.

Under Soon-Shiong, the newsroom added more than 150 journalists, rebuilt its business operations and launched an entertainment studio. The paper was making strong gains in revenue by early 2020. But the COVID-19 health crisis derailed the paper’s path to profitability as pandemic-related closures obliterated the paper’s advertising.

R.I.P.: Pat Robertson, Influential Religious Broadcaster

Pat Robertson (1930-2023)

Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.

Robertson's enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people.

But for more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his "700 Club" television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God's judgment on America for everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.

Robertson pioneered a now-common strategy of courting Iowa's network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.

At the time, Jeffrey K. Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist and a Robertson biographer, said Robertson's masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run. The tactic gave him an army.

"He asked people to pledge that they'd work for him, pray for him and give him money," Hadden told The Associated Press in 1988. "Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did."

Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa's evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.

Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign's ideals. The coalition became a major force in Republican politics in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.

By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was "enormous," according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.

6/8 WAKE-UP CALL: Millions Gag On Smoke From Wildfires

NYTimes Composite (6/8/23)

Schools across the U.S. East Coast canceled outdoor activities, airline traffic slowed and millions of Americans were urged to stay indoors on Wednesday as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south, blanketing cities in thick, yellow haze. The U.S. National Weather Service issued air quality alerts for virtually the entire Atlantic seaboard. Health officials from Vermont to South Carolina and as far west as Ohio and Kansas warned residents that spending time outdoors could cause respiratory problems due to high levels of fine particulates in the atmosphere.

Some 98 million people were under air quality alert conditions Wednesday as smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Eastern Canada ravaged northern states. Here is what to know about the health hazards of the smoke. At least 18 states issued air quality alerts Wednesday, warning people to avoid going outside or limit their activities as the smoke continued to drift south from Canada, bringing with it a dull, gray pallor that settled over many city skylines and caused many to wake to the smell of smoke. As of Wednesday afternoon, multiple United States airports had ordered ground stops for their flights due to the low visibility.

The Smokey Smog is caused Wildfires are blazing across Canada, from British Columbia in the west to Ontario in the center of the country and Quebec to the east. An abnormally dry winter is a key factor. All 10 provinces are currently facing conditions termed abnormal dryness, moderate or severe drought, according to the Canadian government's drought tracker. Late last month, Canada experienced its hottest day ever when the town of Lytton, in British Columbia, hit 121 degrees Fahrenheit, smashing the previous record of 113 degrees. It tied California's Death Valley as the hottest place in North America that day. As a result, the wildfire season has begun incredibly early.

The second consecutive day of haze prompted school schedule changes, outdoor activity cancellations and the renewed popularity of face masks. The National Weather Service said the air quality was unhealthy in numerous states; areas in upstate New York had air-quality levels above 300, which is considered hazardous, according to government tracking site AirNow. Forecasters said people should limit their time outside because inhaling polluted air can cause headaches, irritated eyes, fatigue and difficulty breathing. Seniors, children and immunocompromised people should be especially careful.

Why it matters: Wildfire smoke carries a mix of toxic air pollutants and particulate matter, including dust, soot, and ash, among other materials. Particulate matter accounts for roughly 80% of smoke from wildfires. The particulate matter can make its way into the eyes — accounting for many complaints of irritation — but it can also travel into the airways and settle in the lungs, causing irritation of the airways and other adverse effects, especially for people with underlying health conditions. Exposure to wildfire smoke is “basically the same as tobacco smoke, without the nicotine,” Dr. John Balmes, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, Berkeley, told the Washington Examiner in an interview. 

Check out this almost unbelievable time-lapse of wildfire smoke consuming the World Trade Center and the New York City skyline.

Those vulnerable to poor air quality, including seniors and young children, should limit time outdoors if possible.

More: https://t.co/ChRuWv7X6E pic.twitter.com/mtKtLun8lN

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 7, 2023

With weather systems expected to hardly budge, the smoky blanket billowing from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia and sending plumes of fine particulate matter as far away as North Carolina should persist into Thursday and possibly the weekend.

Licht Firing Was A Walk In Central Park

Chris Licht has broken his silence following his abrupt departure as CEO and global chairman of CNN Wednesday morning, calling his tenure “exciting but incredibly challenging.”

“This was an exciting but incredibly challenging assignment, and I learned a lot over the past 13 months,” Licht said in a statement to media. “I’ve been lucky enough to have had a successful, fulfilling career, and I look forward to my next chapter.”

The Wrap reports Licht’s statement comes hours after the former CEO’s ouster was announced by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav in an editorial call, in which Zaslav said, “I met with Chris and he will be leaving CNN… We’re in the process of conducting a wide search, internally and externally, for a new leader.”

According to the New York Times, Zaslav invited Licht to meet him in Central Park Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m., where Zaslav broke the news of Licht’s termination to the former CEO in the same spot where he was first offered the job.

When WBD Corporate boss David Zaslav broke the news of Licht’s exit to stunned staff he installed a troika of veterans — editorial head Virginia Moseley, programming chief Eric Sherling and talent boss Amy Entelis — to clean up the mess of his 13-month tenure.

Virginia Moseley

“Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief today,” a former CNN producer told The NY Post. “While people are happy that Licht is gone, there’s still a sense of dread that the turmoil is going to continue.”

The general feeling inside CNN’s New York headquarters at Hudson Yards is that CNN is a “house on fire,” the source added, noting that the three-headed monster is a “Band-Aid” for the situation, “not a long-term solution.”

Moseley’s ascension was particularly concerning to many staffers because of the exec’s “terse” and “icy” bedside manner, multiple sources said.

“She is a tyrant,” one former co-worker said. “She has no people skills whatsoever. She is iron-fisted and demanded everyone show up to work after the pandemic.”

“She’s not warm and fuzzy,” another source said.

Moseley, a Harvard University graduate who has been at CNN for a decade, was elevated last year by Licht to become executive vice president of editorial, overseeing all of CNN’s breaking news coverage and domestic newsgathering.

Members of Licht's Exec Team Get The Boot At CNN

Following the announcement Wednesday that CNN head Chris Licht is out of the company after an embarrassing profile in the Atlantic, Page Six hears that senior leaders of the PR team who let it happen are also on their way out.

A source tells Page Six at The NY Post that network execs are cleaning house in the communications department, which oversaw the article that laid bare everything from Licht’s distaste for its journalists’ work under the previous boss to his workout routine.

Page Six also reports senior vice president of communications Matt Dornic — who made several appearances in the article “Inside the Meltdown at CNN” as an “omnipresent” figure and is described as “a mainstay of Licht’s small entourage” — has been given the boot.

Another source says that EVP and global head of communications and marketing Kris Coratti Kelly was cleaning out her desk.  Kelly, formerly of the Washington Post, was brought into the role by Licht last July as he was filling out his leadership team.

Several people will be stepping in for Licht while the network looks for a replacement. Amy Entelis, EVP of talent and content development, Virginia Moseley, EVP of editorial, and Eric Sherling, EVP of US programming, as well as David Leavy, chief operating officer, will take over as leadership while execs conduct what Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav called “a thorough internal and external search” for a new CEO.

Fox News Lawyers Threaten Legal Action

Fox News told Tucker Carlson's lawyers Wednesday that the former star anchor breached his contract with the conservative network when he released the first episode of a new show on Twitter this week, according to NBC News citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Carlson parted ways wirh Fox News in late April, days after the network agreed to pay nearly $800M to Dominion Voting Systems to avert a high-stakes defamation trial.

In a letter to Carlson's lawyers, Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar said the broadcaster was "in breach" of his contract, which was signed in November 2019 and amended in February 2021.

In a statement, Carlson's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, insisted that any legal action by Fox News would infringe on Carlson's First Amendment rights.

"Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds," Freedman said. "Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events."

The news was first reported by Axios. NBC News has not seen a copy of the letter; the source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed that all of the information in the Axios article was accurate.

Top spokespeople at Fox News did not immediately respond to an NBC News email and a text message requesting comment on the Axios report.

TV Ratings: NBA Playoffs Tops, ‘America’s Got Talent’ Close

NBA programming accounted for each of the four highest-rated programs in the latest prime-time ratings, while the 18th season premiere of “America’s Got Talent” was the top-ranked non-sports program.

Viewership for ABC’s coverage of the first two games of the NBA Finals averaged 11.75 million viewers, up from the 11.66 million average for last year’s finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, the least for the finals when held during their customary time since 2007.

The Denver Nuggets’ 104-93 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1 Thursday averaged a combined 11.58 million viewers — 11.04 million on ABC and 544,000 for the “Stephen A’s World” alternate presentation on ESPN2, according to The LA Times citing live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen. Boston’s 120-108 victory in Game 1 of the 2022 finals averaged 11.4 million viewers.

The Heat’s 111-108 victory in Game 2 Sunday averaged 11.91 million viewers, second among prime-time programs airing between May 29 and Sunday. Golden State’s 107-88 victory in Game 2 in 2022 averaged 11.91 million viewers.

The week’s highest-rated program was TNT’s coverage of Miami’s 103-84 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals May 29, which averaged 12 million viewers, the most for an Eastern Conference finals game on TNT and third-highest for any NBA game ever on TNT. The series averaged 7.4 million viewers, the most for an Eastern Conference finals on TNT in a decade.

“America’s Got Talent” averaged 6.11 million viewers, fifth for the week, behind NBA playoffs and coverage.

ABC won the network battle for the first time since it aired the Oscars on March 12, averaging 4.42 million viewers. ABC’s top non-sports program was a rerun of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” which averaged 3.08 million viewers, 15th for the week and eighth among non-sports programs.

CBS averaged 2.85 million viewers to finish second after 11 consecutive first-place finishes, 14 in the previous 15 weeks and 16 in the previous 18. Its ratings were led by the 7 p.m. edition of “60 Minutes,’ sixth for the week and second among non-sports programs, averaging 5.96 million viewers for two previously broadcast segments that were updated for the post-season edition.

NBC was third among the broadcast networks, averaging 2.33 million viewers. Fox averaged 1.62 million viewers for its prime-time programming. Fox’s top-rated program for the second consecutive week was “WWE’s Friday Night Smackdown,” ranked 27th, averaging 2.56 million viewers.

The top 20 prime-time programs consisted of three NBA playoff games — two on ABC and one on TNT; three NBA postgame shows — two on ABC and one on TNT; two NBA pregame shows on ABC; “America’s Got Talent”; two editions of “60 Minutes” with previously broadcast segments that were updated for the post-season editions; reruns of six CBS scripted programs; reruns of the ABC alternative series “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” and “Celebrity Family Feud”; and the NBC crime thriller “The Blacklist.”

Audacy Unveils Sports Sales Team

Audacy, the unrivaled leader in sports Audio – reaching two times more people than its leading competitor – announces a new sales and enablement team dedicated to accelerating growth within the Company’s sports vertical by deepening Audacy partnerships and creating scalable opportunities for advertisers.

The team, led by Audacy veteran Lee Davis, is charged with developing high-value, high-return programs leveraging the power of Audacy’s sports platform across its broadcast, streaming, podcasting, and wagertainment properties. Under Davis’ leadership, the team will be responsible for sales and execution, managing the entire client lifecycle.

“No medium delivers more value for sports than Audio. People are spending more time than ever with broadcast Radio, streaming and podcasts, and the demand for compelling sports content across these channels is growing exponentially,” said Brian Benedik, Chief Revenue Officer, Audacy. “Through our best-in-class sports audio portfolio, powered by over 150 flagship team partnerships, iconic local broadcast brands, award-winning podcasts and sports betting content, Audacy is uniquely positioned to capitalize on a new sales strategy in this arena.”

Lee Davis

Reporting to Bob Philips, President of Audacy Networks and Multi-market Sales, Davis will serve as Audacy’s Senior Vice President for the team. A deeply tenured media leader, Davis re-joined Audacy in 2018 to lead the reboot of TWIN's on-air content and Ad Operations teams. From 1990 to 2005, Davis was key in building WFAN into America’s No. 1 sports radio station, overseeing local and national sales, programming and marketing, helping shape it into the highest-grossing station in the country.

Audacy is assembling a team under Davis and he will partner closely with the company’s local market sports leaders across the portfolio.

Audacy is the unrivaled leader in sports radio, reaching two times more people than the leading competitor. Audacy is the #1 sports radio ownership group, which owns and operates 39 all-sports stations across the U.S., including WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM (WFAN-FM/AM) in New York, SportsRadio 94WIP (WIP-FM) in Philadelphia and 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) in Chicago. 

Spotify To Make Exclusive Podcasts Available On Other Platforms

Spotify Technology SA is in talks to make the popular podcasts Armchair Expert and Anything Goes available on other streaming platforms, reversing its strategy in order to attract more listeners and boost revenue for the shows.

Armchair Expert, hosted by Dax Shephard and Monica Padman and currently billed as “A Spotify Exclusive,” may soon be available on other services. The audio version of Emma Chamberlain’s Anything Goes is already accessible on Apple Inc.’s Podcasts service. More shows will likely follow, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

As Spotify built out its podcasting business, the company paid significant sums to acquire studios and exclusive rights to shows because it thought they would entice more listeners. Armchair Expert became exclusive in 2021, while Anything Goes did so in February of this year.

But making shows exclusive to Spotify limited the potential audience since podcast listeners often use other services. Spotify said in a statement to Bloomberg News that it’s adopting a tailored approach to each show, including releasing episodes exclusively for a period before making them more broadly available, a strategy known as windowing.

Julie McNamara, who oversees Spotify’s studios, told investors in March that Chamberlain’s audience “more than doubled” since signing her deal with company. In a short message to listeners June 5, Chamberlain said she would soon release her video episodes only on Spotify.

The changes are one part of the company’s ongoing effort to make its podcast business profitable. Earlier this week, Spotify laid off 2 per cent of its workforce, primarily in podcasting, following earlier cuts in January and October.

SiriusXM Launches Carrie's Country Channel Friday

SiriusXM has announced teight-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood, will launch her exclusive year-round SiriusXM channel, CARRIE’S COUNTRY, on Friday, June 9 at 7:45 pm ET on SiriusXM channel 60 as well as on the SXM App.

Underwood will kick off the new channel live and in person from SiriusXM’s Music Row Happy Hour at the Margaritaville Cafe in Nashville with SiriusXM host Buzz Brainard. To celebrate the launch, CARRIE’S COUNTRY will additionally simulcast on SiriusXM’s The Highway (channel 56) on Friday, June 9 from 8:00 pm ET until midnight ET.

Special CARRIE’S COUNTRY launch day programming will feature an exclusive Town Hall special with Underwood recorded at the SiriusXM Miami Studios. SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Carrie Underwood will feature Carrie discussing her new channel, answering fan questions as well as new performances of some of her hit songs including “Before He Cheats,” “Church Bells,” and her newest single, “Out Of That Truck.” The special will air on Friday, June 9 at 9:00 pm ET, rebroadcast throughout the weekend, and will be available to stream anytime on the SXM App.

Following the Town Hall broadcast, at 10:00 pm ET, CARRIE’S COUNTRY will air Underwood’s June 6 performance from the Grand Ole Opry.

Nashville Radio: Crate Morat Director of Music Prog At Cromwell

Effective July 1, 2023, Cromwell Media/Nashville’s Crate Morat, aka “Atticus,” Program Director and Brand Manager for “Nashville’s Rock Station” WBUZ 102.9 The Buzz, moves into a newly created role as Director of Music Programming, adding branding and imaging responsibilities for 93.3 Classic Hits WQZQ  and Urban AC 102.1 The Ville (W271AB). The transition is currently underway.

Crate Morat

Morat said, “In addition to our heritage rock station, 102.9 The Buzz, we have two other distinct Nashville music brands that I’m excited to begin working with! Thanks to Cromwell Media owner Bud Walters, outgoing VP/Market Manager Dennis Gwiazdon, and newly appointed GM Shawn Fort, for creating the opportunity for me to lead all these music stations toward a successful future in Music City.”

Since May 2020 Morat has guided 102.9 The Buzz to a consistent market leading position. This is Morat’s second stint with Cromwell Media. He began his career in 2001 at WMFS-FM/Memphis before arriving in Nashville in 2010 where he served as WBUZ-FM Assistant PD/Imaging Director and PM drive host for four years. Morat spent the following six years in Indianapolis as Assistant PD for WFBQ-FM and PM drive host at WOLT-FM before rejoining Cromwell Media/Nashville.

“Crate was with us years ago and did a great job,” said Bud Walters, Cromwell Media President.

“We were glad to get his call from Indianapolis when 102.9 The Buzz was looking for a PD and he re-joined us. Now it’s great to be able to promote from within as we plan growth for Nashville’s 93.3 Classic Hits and 102.1 The Ville.”

Perry Sook Elected as NAB Joint Board Chair

• Collin Jones elected Radio Board Chair 
• Pat LaPlatney elected TV Board Chair

Perry Sook, chairman and chief executive officer of Nexstar Media Group, was elected chairman of the NAB Joint Board of Directors, NAB announced Wednesday. Sook takes over from David Santrella, chief executive officer of Salem Media Group, whose term expired.

Perry Sook

Collin Jones, executive vice president of Strategy and Development, Cumulus Media Inc., was elected Radio Board chair by the NAB Radio Board. Kevin Perry, president and chief operating officer of Perry Publishing and Broadcasting Company, was elected Radio Board first vice chair, while John Zimmer, president and owner of Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri, Inc., was elected Radio Board second vice chair.

Chris Ornelas, executive vice president and general counsel of Beasley Media Group, was elected to the Radio Board's major group representative seat on the NAB Board's Executive Committee.

Pat LaPlatney, president and co-chief executive officer of Gray Television Inc, was elected as NAB Television Board chair. Ramona Alexander, vice president and general manager of WDBD, was elected as TV Board first vice chair, Lynn Beall, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Media Operations for TEGNA, was elected TV Board second vice chair and Chris Ripley, president and chief executive officer for Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. was elected TV Board third vice chair.

Kristopher Jones, executive vice president and head of Government Relations at FOX Corporation, was appointed to the designated TV network seat on the NAB Board's Executive Committee. 

The elections took place at the NAB Board of Directors meeting, held June 6-7.

Radio News Salaries Show 4.5 Percent Increase

For the third year in a row, radio salaries failed to rise to the level of inflation. In 2021, although inflation that year was just 1.4%, radio salaries went up a paltry 0.9%. Last year was a lot worse, with radio salaries up just 0.4% and inflation at 7%. This year, salaries are up 4.5%, but with inflation at 6.4%, it’s another year of losing ground, according to a survey conducted for the RTNDA (RadioTV News Directors Association). Over the last three years, radio news salaries are down a cumulative 8% in terms of real wages.

Major market newsrooms accounted for a dip in management salaries, and large markets increased or held steady across job titles. Mostly, salaries go up as market size goes up — no surprise there. They also tend to go up as staff size increases, but much of that is a function of market size as well.

Amazon Plans Ad Tier for Prime Video

Amazon is planning to launch an advertising-supported tier of its Prime Video streaming service as it looks to further build its ad business and generate more revenue from entertainment, according to The Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the situation.

The discussions, which the people said are in the early stages and have been going on over the past several weeks, come in the wake of cost-cutting reviews across the company’s businesses, resulting in tens of thousands of layoffs.

Advertising has been an area of continued growth for Amazon despite macroeconomic challenges. The company’s ad revenue was $9.5 billion in the first quarter, up 21% year over year. The company is the third-biggest player in terms of digital ad revenue in the U.S. after Google and Meta, according to Insider Intelligence.