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Tribune, TBO.com, News Channel 8 cut staff

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By RICHARD MULLINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 27, 2009

TAMPA - The Florida Communications Group today cut 24 full-time positions from its newsrooms at The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and WFLA, News Channel 8.

The reasoning is familiar to those following the economics of the news industry: The continued downturn in advertising revenue across nearly all media outlets.

"This is unfortunately the same song in the sixth verse," said Janet Coats, who oversees the combined newsroom as executive editor and vice president at FCG.

There are some glimmers of a change, Coats said, as FCG is gaining share of the smaller advertising pool in the Tampa Bay area. "To use the current cliché among economists, there are some shoots of grass starting to come up. How sustainable that is, is yet to be seen," she said.

The company cut 17 from The Tampa Tribune newsroom, six from WFLA and two open positions. Another 60 were cut today from positions at FCG outside the newsrooms.

Perhaps the most visible on-air personality had already been cut — Bill Ratliff, anchor of the station's morning news program. With the cuts, the combined newsroom stands at about 260 full-time employees. FCG's employment stands at about 950.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

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