Toledo Media Job Dump

In our earlier item about 13 jobs being cut at Raycom Media Cleveland CBS/MyNet affiliates WOIO/19-WUAB/43, we found that the cuts were nationwide for the Montgomery, Alabama-based TV chain.

And we wondered about cuts at the other Raycom operations here in Ohio.

We mentioned the company's FOX affiliate in Cincinnati, WXIX/19....where we still haven't heard anything about job losses. For that matter, neither has Jeremy Moses down at Tri-State Media Watch, who's still dealing with health issues...but is back from his hiatus.

But we forgot that Raycom also owns Toledo's powerhouse CBS affiliate, WTOL/11...which it picked up in the Liberty deal, swapping its ownership of NBC affiliate WNWO/24 to Barrington Broadcasting.

And there are layoffs to report there, as the Toledo Blade mentions that six people are now jobless at WTOL...with no details on who fell victim to the layoff axe.

The item is just one mention in a string of media layoffs in the article, as LIN TV FOX affiliate WUPW/36 "FOX Toledo" cuts weekday sports entirely - with anchor Brad Fanning and photographer Adam Meyer headed for unemployment as part of LIN TV's own 150 nationwide job cuts.

"FOX Toledo" will apparently continue to have sports segments on weekends.

Raycom and LIN TV (and WKYC owner Gannett) aren't alone in the Media Job Loss Sweepstakes nationwide, as Media General has also made similar job cuts in the past couple of days. We haven't heard yet about the situation at the company's Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH/4.

And ALL of this was at the bottom half of the Big Story for the Toledo Blade: The Blade itself is laying off 25 workers. Quoting:

The cuts are needed because of reduced advertising sales in a slowing economy and the likelihood that the newspaper will be required to make a steep contribution to its employee pension plan as a result of stock-market losses, Luann Sharp, assistant managing editor, said yesterday.

The Blade reports that "all but two" of the layoffs, which take effect on December 27th ("Merry Christmas!"), are in the newsroom.

And a heads up - it's not at all surprising that OMW is hearing about MORE feared job cuts at one Northeast Ohio newspaper...more, as we hear it...