Thousands of workers at U.S. newspapers and broadcasters are facing more layoffs, wage freezes and pay cuts as their owners scramble to survive the advertising drought. Grim conditions prompted Media General Inc. to tell its 5,600 workers Wednesday that they will be forced to take 10 unpaid days by the end of the year. Four of the days off must be scheduled by the end of March. The furloughs could save the company about $9 million. Earlier this week, the Tribune Co. froze the wages of all the nonunion employees at its TV stations and newspapers, which include …

About a quarter of the nation's TV stations cut off their analog signals yesterday, causing sets to go dark in households that were not prepared for digital television despite two years of warnings about the transition. Stations and call centers reported a steady stream of questions from frustrated callers. Originally, all U.S. stations were required to cut their analog signals Tuesday, but Congress voted this month to give broadcasters more time. The FCC cleared 421 stations to go all-digital this week and another 220 stations have already made the switch. The most populous places where most major-network stations …

When Jack Bauer saves the world for the seventh time, he'll do it from behind the wheel of a Hyundai. The Korean automaker has committed to a season-long integration in Fox's "24," taking up some of the slack from Ford. The Hyundai Genesis sedan will play a pivotal role throughout the season's 26-episode arc, serving as the primary vehicle for rogue spy Bauer, per terms of the deal. In addition to the product placement, the Genesis brand is featured on News Corp.'s MySpace and on Hulu.com, a joint venture with NBC Universal. "Our partnership with "24" provides …

Although out-of-home advertising is expected to weather the recession better than other media, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America canceled its national convention planned for May 17-19 in Miami. "Generally our members felt it was time to get back to basics and focus on the core business. This just wasn't the time to be away from the office," says Stephen Freitas, CMO for the trade group. Outdoor media companies are not immune to the tough economy. Dependent primarily on local advertising, traditional outdoor companies have been hit particularly hard, with the three largest outdoor companies reporting revenue declines in …

Charter Communications chairman Paul Allen's voting grip on the St. Louis-based MSO will be loosened considerably once the troubled cable operator files for bankruptcy protection, according to SEC documents. Allen, who has reportedly invested more than $7 billion of his own money in Charter since 1998, currently owns 52% of the cable company's equity and 91% of its voting shares. The company had stressed that he would retain the largest voting interest in the company, but it was expected that his controlling interest in the company would be reduced after it completes a planned debt-for-equity swap. It …

In the midst of a housing meltdown, Reader's Digest Association is launching "Fresh Home," a home-improvement magazine set to arrive on Feb. 27. The magazine is adopting and adapting much of its editorial content from a sibling title in Australia. "You could call the tactic cheap or you could call it smart," says Alyce Alston, president of RDA's home and garden group. The company hopes Fresh Home's focus on thrifty, do-it-yourself projects will appeal to young homeowners, especially in an uncertain economy. Advertisers include Ikea, Elmira Stoves and Benjamin Moore, which is using the title to help introduce …

When Carol Smith, publisher of Elle, joined the magazine in 2002, she inherited a magazine with an 18.2% year-over-year decline in ad pages. The title, owned by Hachette Filipacchi, ended last year with 5% ad growth, capping six consecutive years of gains. In the last three years, Elle's advertising increased 27% when most magazines shrank and many shuttered. Smith attributes the gains to hiring Hollywood talent agency CAA and Elle's risky collaboration with "Project Runway," the fashion reality show. "Other media projects like "Stylista" and "Ugly Betty" have followed on the heels of 'Runway," but now we have …

A weak economy and fear of a backlash against big spenders has prompted several longtime sponsors of the Academy Awards to scale back or bow out of the show entirely. Last year, L'Oreal and Coke each ran eight spots, followed by General Motors and JC Penney with five spots each. This year, L'Oreal and GM will forgo Sunday's broadcast. American Express, a sponsor for 15 straight years, is slated to run only a single spot. This slack in demand has led ABC to reportedly cut the price of a single 30-second spot to $1.4 million, down from as much …

The Atlantic has published four distinct versions of its March cover, tailored to specific metro areas. The issue, which debuts this week, features a cover story, "How the Crash Will Reshape America," by urban studies professor Richard Florida, best known for his work about the "creative class." The story points to declines in the suburbs and the Sun Belt, and economic improvements in certain metro areas. The Atlantic is targeting the metro areas named in the story with separate covers specifically tailored to their newsstands - proclaiming, "New York Wins," "Chicago Wins," "San Francisco Wins" and "Toronto Wins." …

Some MyNetworkTV affiliates are optimistic about the network's transformation to a programming service because they think it will be easier to sell the new slate of shows to sponsors. News Corp.-owned MyNet recently announced it is getting out of the broadcast programming business starting next season, replacing its current lineup with syndicated fare, including crime dramas. This is the third programming change since MyNet launched in fall 2006 with a slate of telenovelas. With the change, MyNet affiliates get programming that already has penetrated the popular consciousness, which may help them build their brands locally. What remains to …