Downturn costs Winnipeg Sun jobs

The Winnipeg Sun newspaper has cutabout a dozenemployees, including two managers and three journalists announced Tuesday, in the latest sign the economic downturn is hitting the media industry.

The layoffs were part of a shedding of 600 jobs in Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada by Sun Media, which is owned by Quebecor.

Sun Media blamed the cuts on the effect the soft economy is having on its print media revenue, coupled with a shift toward more free content on the internet.

"The speed at which the current economic environment is deteriorating forces us to make difficult decisions at this time of the year," said Pierre Karl Pladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor.

"This decision in no way changes our commitment to our publications, our readers and our advertisers," he said in a newsrelease.

The company said the cuts are expected to result in restructuring costs of approximately $14 million.

Sun Media has 43 paid-circulation and free dailies in Canada's major urban markets, and more than 200 community newspapers, shopping guides and other publications.

The cuts are the latest of several to hit the Canadian and U.S. media industry in the past few weeks.

Paul McKie of Local 191 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union said there were seven unionized positions eliminated at the Winnipeg Sun on Tuesday, along with two managers.

These cutsfollow five others in the past few weeks, for a total of at least 12 lost union positions at the Winnipeg paper.

"It's a savage over-reaction," McKie said, adding the paper is not demonstrating a commitment to news readers with cuts to editorial staff.

Canwest Global has announced the elimination of 560 jobs, while CTV has cut 105 positions. Rogers Communications has also reduced its staff in its media division.

In another example of pain in the newspaper business, the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News announced plans to reduce their home delivery service.

The Chicago Tribune newspaper filed for bankruptcy protectionfrom its creditors on Dec. 8.