Chipping Away at Black Rock

Image by yuan2003 via Flickr

CBS may want to change its logo from an eye to a bullseye, based on a story in today's Los Angeles Times that up to 7 percent of the staff of CBS News may get pink-slipped based on declining ad revenues and shrinking audience.

The Times suggests as many as 100 of 1,400 staff positions may be lopped off, including editorial positions, support staff and technicians, though on-air personalities may be spared.  Reportedly, CBS News has shuttered its 3-member Moscow bureau, cut three part-timers from its Tel-Aviv bureau, and could trim a dozen positions from its 150-member Washington bureau.

CBS News executives have stated that the workforce reduction will not be as severe as depicted in the LA Times account.  The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric has been a perennial third-place finisher in the network evening news ratings war.