In Atlanta, Kempner, Leslie & Trubey cite sources as saying that Turner Broadcasting's "job reductions could grow to as many 1,500 workers." Word of "broader job cuts" comes as Turner execs "confirmed plans this week to offer buyouts to 600 older workers as part of a corporate restructuring." However, it is "unclear whether the 1,500 potential cuts are in addition to the buyout offers, or how many would be among Atlanta workers." That "number amounts to more" than 10% of Turner’s "global workforce" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/27). In N.Y., Jonathan Mahler reports in addition to "cutting costs, Turner intends to reallocate resources to focus on areas of growth, including live sports broadcasts and some original content" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/27).
BAD TO THE BONE? In Chicago, Phillip Thompson wrote everyone is "going after the football fan's funny bone to get them to watch their network or buy their product," but some promos "prompt as many questions as they do laughs." Fox' Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in an ad promoting the upcoming NFL season "play a couple of Latin lotharios vying for the attention of a senorita in the parody of a telenovela." The "weirdness is sure to inspire a few chuckles, but we have a few questions." Why, if it is a Spanish soap opera, does Aikman have a "Texas twang while Buck breaks out his best eighth-grade Spanish?" Thompson: "Let's hope that when the pair return to their real personas on Fox this fall, Buck will at least remember Aikman's name" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 8/26).
SHIFT CHANGE: ESPN yesterday announced that "Olbermann" will be move from its current 11:00pm ET time slot on ESPN2 to 5:00pm beginning Monday, Sept. 8. The show will continue to be produced live from ABC's Times Square studios. The program will be cut from one hour to 30 minutes (THE DAILY). Olbermann in announcing the move on his Twitter feed wrote, "oh yeah, I will be doing a few SportsCenters now and then ;-)" (TWITTER.com, 8/26).
