Call center layoffs in America

Publisher and broadcaster industry biggie the Tribune Co. announced on Friday that 120 full-time and 130 part-time call-center jobs would be excised from at its daily newspapers, with the job to be outsourced to APAC Customer Services. APAC plans to place the jobs in the Philippines. The layoffs equal approximately 1 percent of Tribune publishing operation costs.

As a reason for the cuts, a company memo released to the press stated that, "The intensely competitive media environment we find ourselves in and the changes happening within our industry make it even more important that we continue to look for better ways to meet the needs of our readers and advertisers.” Industry analysts, however, are pretty much unanimous in citing pressure from Chandler Trust, Tribune Co.’s largest shareholder, to increase shareholder value.

In May, the company said it would buy back up to US $2 billion in stock and sell off US $500 million worth of assets in an attempt to boost the company’s performance. Tribune shares dropped 9 percent drop in July.