The Seattle Times, battered by a continuing decline in advertising revenue, will slice nearly 200 staffers -- more than half of them via layoffs. It will also close two suburban bureaus and cease zoned editions in two neighboring counties in a plan designed to save about $15 million. Spokeswoman Jill Mackie declined to discuss more specifics, but says: "There will be some changes that will affect both readers and advertisers." In an email to its employees, the newspaper says the reductions will include up to 131 layoffs, while 60 unfilled positions will stay that way. Right now, …

Syrup brand Mrs. Butterworth is trying a comeback with a new ad campaign, its second in a year after a long lull. The effort for the butter-flavored syrup includes TV spots and a new Web site with an interactive game and online contest. Parent Pinnacle Foods, launched the brand's first new campaign in April of last year -- after a 10-year hiatus -- and the goal is to get the name back into the marketplace. According to Andy Reichgut, vice president of marketing at Pinnacle, the brand crosses generations and is so well-known that "all we had to …

NBC Universal has already sold about three-quarters of its Olympic ad inventory and has yet to see any marketer pullback in the face of the burgeoning--and highly publicized--anti-Chinese protests, says Chief Executive Jeff Zucker. Indeed, even as raucous demonstrations in Europe have forced the extinguishment of the famed Olympic Torch on its road to Beijing, Zucker says that ad prices have been "incredibly strong. The fact is the Olympics are a sporting event on the world stage." He adds that "it's not surprising that some would try to use that stage to further their own causes and we understand that, …

The do-or-die Democratic primary in Pennsylvania has many businesses getting out of the way of the profusion of political ads hitting the Keystone State's airwaves. The influx of political spots has left many marketers on the sidelines as time gets more expensive--and to avoid getting caught up in the clutter. "To compete with that would probably not be the wisest use of our dollars," says Michael Wishnow, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association. His group recently suspended a television advertising campaign, figuring that its message would get lost. And of course, TV stations are required to give political candidates …

Spike TV will pay about $12 million for an exclusive five-year license to all 257 episodes of "Married ...With Children," with the half-hour reruns set to begin airing in September. And that is just one of the recent deals by the male-oriented cable net as it has also bought updated repeats of "Unsolved Mysteries" with Dennis Farina as the new host of 175 re-edited hours of the series in a five-year exclusive contract. While Spike isn't talking exact dollar figures, it will likely pay about $150,000 per episode to distributor HBO, with a total tab of roughly $26 million. As …

With room rates dropping, Las Vegas casinos are offering visitors deeply discounted promotions--and Sin City is rolling out a new ad campaign to boot. But even before fears of a recession became national news, Vegas tourism authorities--seemingly aware of the coming slowdown--began planning a new batch of ads to complement the "What Happens Here, Stays Here" campaign. The effort includes radio and online ads in Southern California--the source of a third of its visitors. And, writes Liz Benston, "these bits, a first for a town known for glitzy ads on national television and seemingly more suited to car dealerships and …