Friday, June 14, 2013

By the numbers | Here are your new co-workers

Gannett's deal to buy TV company Belo Corp. means the size of GCI's workforce may grow this year for the first time since 2006, when the company started eliminating more than 20,000 jobs through layoffs and other means. Some key numbers about workforce size:


2,600
GCI Broadcast division


2,696
Belo


30,700
GCI company-wide


12 comments:

  1. Just a reminder that 5 Belo stations will not be joining the Gannett "Super Group," so the number of employees listed here is overstated. It's also likely that Belo corporate positions and back office staff in the local markets might be trimmed post-integration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True. And they absolutely will trim the size of the staff. From Corporate's press release:

      "The Company anticipates that the transaction will generate approximately $175 million in annual run-rate synergies within three years after closing."

      Synergies = layoffs.

      Delete
  2. Correct, but to expand, from Webster's:
    Synergies: See Layoffs.
    Layoffs: See Gannett.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, Gannett: See Satan.

      Delete
    2. Truer words were never spoken. Thanks, Jim!

      Delete
    3. Well so much for Jim's objectivity.

      Delete
  3. uhhhg. as one of those 2000 or so Belo emplyees I can't help but stress a little about the future of my job.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a company that slashed 40 percent of its staff to cover past mistakes (the british properties, wasted stock buybacks, etc) and routinely furloughs its workers. Honestly, you think things are gonna change?

    ReplyDelete
  5. There is something odd about the "2.2B" price tag. It doesn't add up. Those 5 properties are not worth 2.2B.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not five. Gannett will own 15 of Belo's 20 stations. The remaining five will be spun off into a separate company, and GCI will manage those stations under a contract.

      The employment figure here is for all 20 stations plus the headquarters staff in Dallas.

      Delete
  6. Yeah, let me put it in perspective. There was an article, a couple months ago, that states that "Tablets, smartphone sales may surpass 2.2 Billion by 2017."
    (http://www.indiatvnews.com/business/india/tablets-smartphone-sales-may-surpass-b-by-idc-5394.html)

    Now think of all of the people, in the world, who already own a smartphone or a tablet. And, the sales of those object have not yet met 2.2B, but is expected to in 2017. Yet, Gannett spent 2.2B on 5 TV stations that only reach specific markets. WHAT THE HELL??? -- I wonder who pocketed part of the money when they arranged that deal. Unless Belo has more products than those 5 TV stations, Gannett really messed up.

    ReplyDelete

Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

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