CBS/Infinity Cleans House

The total number of layoffs at CBS Radio - 115. That's the number the Wall Street Journal's running with, and it's more than double the Rumor Mill number. Those 115 folks - scattered throughout the ranks from GMs to secretaries - constitute (says the Journal) about 1.3% of the CBS Radio workforce of 8500.

Joel Hollander tells staffers “this afternoon we gave notice to a number of our colleagues” and says it’s “part of an initiative designed to manage costs as we move to re-shape and re-structure our radio group.” He calls it “an altogether necessary step” to ensure competitiveness. Among the names (not confirmed by CBS) – WCBS-FM, New York GM Chad Brown and KROQ-FM, L.A. GM Trip Reeb. Today's cutbacks are apparently all that Hollander foresees - "I don't anticipate additional plans along these lines." No word yet on any Pittsburgh effects, but I know a few names that ought to be on the list.

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