Hammer to Citizen-Times employees: ‘It is a very sad day’

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s an email forwarded to me from a loyal Ashvegas reader. The email is from Asheville Citizen-Times Publisher Randy Hammer to his staff, regarding Tuesday’s lay-offs:

From: Hammer, Randy
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 1:53 PM
To: Asheville-Colleagues
Subject: Staff reductions

Everyone who was affected by the reduction in staff has been notified.

We had 16 layoffs, including four people who volunteered.

It is a very sad day and we are losing good friends and co-workers who have
contributed a great deal to this company.

Beginning tomorrow and continuing through the rest of this week, managers will
hold a series of staff meetings to discuss the impact on their departments.

A Gannett Blog commenter says this is the breakdown:

total 16 in Asheville. 4 volunteers. i don’t know the complete breakdown. this is what i know:

1 graphic designer

1 production designer

1 online news

1 online director

4 classified sales reps

1 classified manager

1 page layout

That leaves six jobs unaccounted. Anyone know the rest?

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

12 Comments

  1. On the list December 6, 2008

    The X Files List who were let go from Citizen-Times on Tuesday
    Patricia Martin – classified manager
    Doug Mayer
    John Yenne – online director
    Ashley Galloway – adv assistant
    Jennifer Zaval – adv rep
    Will Donochod – Class. Employment adtaker
    Donna Oakes – production designer
    Tami Parcell -graphic designer
    Suzanne Wilson – Haywood
    Karen Greene – Haywood
    Janis Pierce – Accounting who volunteered
    Joy Franklin – Op Ed
    Richard Tomlin – Maintenance
    Bob Beadnell – Classified page layout
    Open day editor somewhere
    Julie Sunday – Circulation

    Reply
  2. From across the road December 3, 2008

    Blub:

    I often wonder how Retail escapes as well.

    They must be in good with the publisher otherwise Retail’s history over the last few years would be a wake up call. Classified always had to pick up where Retail failed.

    Reply
  3. Citizen of the Times December 3, 2008

    It sounds as if Gannett is centralizing operations that can be done in other corporate locations (or outsourced?) such as IT services and classified ads. My AC-T subscription notice received yesterday has a Nashville return address instead of a local one.

    Reply
  4. Bill December 3, 2008

    amazing that in "the information age" traditional gatekeepers of information can’t find a way to make a buck, ain’t it?

    Reply
  5. been there December 3, 2008

    It annoys the crap out of me all the negative stuff printed about colleagues in the publishing business. Unless you’ve been there, you have NO IDEA what it takes to publish a newspaper — and a daily (even a weekly) is even harder. These people whose only experience with "journalism" is to rant online or send a letter to the editor … you outta try writing something that has involved research, interviewing people (and just finding people and scheduling interviews is difficult enough), principles of grammar, AP style, the bad mood of an editor, and ridiculous deadlines….plus make the publisher happy because what’s left of your story attracts readers and thus advertisers……well, it’s a very difficult world and most everyone I know in the business works very hard at their craft with very little compensation. My heart goes out to these folks, all of them, including those who worked hard out at the printing facility.

    Reply
  6. Former C-T'er December 3, 2008

    My thoughts are with my former colleagues and friends in Asheville. I wish the best for those who were let go. Godspeed.

    Reply
  7. Abigflea December 3, 2008

    its getting crazy over there.
    Still no plans on ‘how’ things are going to work.

    Reply
  8. Blub December 3, 2008

    Accounting seems to have survived another round at the AC-T. Wonder what they’re accounting for these days. The controller must have lots of pull. And can someone inside please tell me how the retail advertising dept. keeps escaping the scissors?

    Reply
  9. AskAsheville December 3, 2008

    Messed up about the jobs. Print altogether is going out soon too, unless they come up with another angle.

    Reply
  10. Bill December 3, 2008

    hammer won’t be going, it appears, huh? no volunteer, he

    Reply
  11. tr December 3, 2008

    my thoughts are with those still there, and those let go. the c-t, for all the crap it gets from locals, does have a talented bunch of journalists and an even better group of people. what’s in print on the newstands isn’t always indicative of the intelligence of the people who work there. they are a great group.

    all the best to everyone at the c-t in these tough times, from a former employee.

    Reply
  12. Blub December 3, 2008

    Two from Haywood County.

    Reply

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