What hath Nielsen Business Media wrought? I'm told that laid off today are Julie Wood, managing editor/international; Karl Gibson, longtime editorial business analyst; Cristy Lytal, editor in special issues (hired in March); Alex Woodson, editorial staffer in New York; Brooks Boliek, 
who staffed the Washington bureau which now is evidently shuttered. Other names may be in the offing. "They're no longer just trimming fat but bone and gristle," one insider relayed to me. "Everyone's got the ax poised over their head waiting to see who it falls on next. It's difficult to imagine a more deflating work environment." UPDATE: I'm also hearing that THR advertising account exec Evan Atkinson is laid off. Meanwhile, Victoria Gold, who was just promoted to THR's director of sales for film, is telling people she's leaving soon. So the sales department will soon go from 18 to 4.
- B&C Steals Vet Hollywood Reporter Editor
- Say What? Hollywood Reporter Emails
- THR Rearranges Deck Chairs On Titanic
- The Hollywood Reporter's Publisher Exits; More Variety-zation Of THR's Nielsen
- Paula Parisi Exits The Hollywood Reporter
- A New Boss For HollywoodReporter.com
- Elizabeth Guider Named New THR Editor: A Get Or A Variety Also-Ran?
- The Hollywood Reporter vs Variety, Part 2
- H'Wood Reporter Seeks 'Big Name' Editor
- H'Wood Reporter Editor Cynthia Littleton Jumps To Variety; Anne Thompson Also
- Newest Bloodbath At Hollywood Reporter + Here's Why Howard Burns Got Burned
- New Hollywood Reporter Publisher
Unfortunately it takes a lot of mid-range salary dumping to pay for the frivolousness of THR’s executives, not to mention their new cars. The fact that most of these executives are former mainstays at Variety and have only served to dig THR into a deeper hole than it was in prior to this Varietization, well, only makes the issue seem that much shadier.
Comment by Jasper — July 8, 2008 @ 1:55 pm
Sorry, THR employees, join the club. I guess with nothing filming in LA (or elsewhere), there’s nothing to write about either.
That said, however, 2008 will be remembered as the “year of the layoffs.” If you’re going to do it, this is the environment. Nobody will cause too much of a stink about it or stand up for anyone cause we’re all in it together.
I have the feeling that Time’s Person of the Year will be just a large pink slip.
Comment by Ivan Bosco — July 8, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Bad news for them. More bad news for print.
Good news for you. Your readership can only grow now.
Really, what did anyone publishing print think, the Internet was a fad and would go away?
Comment by Mike Cane — July 8, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
So Pathetic…So Tragic….Seriously.
Howard Burns and Bob Dowling had actually built the paper to back respectable status. Eric Mika and Elizabeth Guider have brought it lower than ever.
Who in this town is desperate enough to give them a story (oh that’s right, they’re concentrating on Macao and Budapest now)? The brand (an oxymoron at best) is close to worthless.
How freaking stupid are Blackstone and these other these buyout titans? There’s absolutely no way they ever see a profit on this deal…and now they’re only devaluing their principal.
They better hold on to the few creative talents they have left and try and make the paper viable again. You can’t re-design what you no longer have.
Comment by DL Brown — July 8, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
Wouldn’t it be kinder to just shutter THR? Does Nielsen have one slim chance of having a clue as to how to run a publication, that could, if allowed, be quite lucrative online? Instead, they screwed up their online site to where it’s not worth the time to visit, and with all the cuts, there won’t be anything to read anyway.
How did Hollywood get so dead????
Comment by BriteBlonde1 — July 8, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
Howard Burns and Bob Dowling built the paper…puhlease…it’s all relative now, but this paper has been in steady decline, lets face it, since Anita Busch left over the George Christy scandal. And other than Rose Einstein, none of the former Variety people were even considered Junior Varsity players there. Eric Mika was a mid-level functionary who now thinks he’s a playa’. People can mock the trades all they want, but the demise of this paper is not good for this industry, beyond what it means for print press in general, it means that Variety has more power, which will and has been abused.
Comment by hack n' sacked — July 8, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
Word is The Hollywood Reporter recently took on one of the architects of the recent Macrovision takeover from Gemstar-TV Guide, someone responsible for the rounds of layoffs and resignations that have just gotten warmed up there. This may be the tip of the iceberg.
Comment by Recently Guillotined — July 8, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
Management is whittling the bone now. If money is an issue, why not layoff those at the top; executives and editors? Clearly THEY are not doing their jobs and must be held accountable for that fact. No one can see that Mika is a liability, but rather than deal with his failure, the astute management decides to get rid of people who have carried the burden of poor decision-making.
Comment by truthbetold — July 9, 2008 @ 6:53 am
I was a department editor at THR in the 1970s. The paper has morphed over the years into a runny corporaste sheet and lacks real journos these days, real news people with judgment, vision.
For starters…perhaps the top dogs at THR should consider creating a real life/real-time columnist ala Army Archerd or Hank Grant, from the paper’s golden days. Liz Smith in V does not cut it. THR has lost touch with the business and those who used to read it each AM. However, I believe it will and needs to survive to keep V on its toes.
70s News Guy at THR
Comment by 70s THR Newsguy — July 9, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
I will not be reading the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER anymore because of the most recent layoffs, most notably Karl Gibson. The things, and people, that I loved about THR have seemed to vanish in recent months. I am tired of it and have moved on with getting my industry news elsewhere. Thanks for nothing. . . . . again.
Comment by ionmaddog — July 9, 2008 @ 2:18 pm
It’s never failed to amaze me how far incompetent people can rise in the management ladder. Even more remarkable is that, after finally being dismissed for their incompetency, they manage to surface again in the same role at the “competition”.
At Variety, Rose Einstein was singularly responsible for the resignation of more talented, competent people
than THR presently has left in their entire organization. It took Charlie Koontz awhile to finally bring himself to fire her, but he eventually did. Remarkably, after talking her way into a brief stop over at Netflix, she rises again at THR.
Like a cockroach, one has to admire her survival skills. Unfortunately, when combined with the incompetency of Mr. Mika and a 2nd rate brand, THR does not have the ability to withstand the damage that she is inflicting on the publication. One can only hope that someone at Blackstone or Neilsen will awake from their coma and fire Ms. Einstein and Mr. Mika before Variety becomes the only game in town.
Comment by Heads in The Sand — July 10, 2008 @ 9:05 am