• The Associated Press, Thursday, February 19, 2009 9:45 AM

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 the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Newspaper publisher McClatchy is also gearing up for its third payroll purge since June. The company, which owns 30 daily papers, including The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee, hopes to save about $100 million this year, primarily by reducing its work force by 10%. Last week, McClatchy told employees at the Bee to expect another wave of substantial job cuts in early March. Pay cuts and mandatory furloughs also loom as a possibility, according to executives.

Read the whole story at The Associated Press »