Revenue problems force Times to cut staff by 125

Following up on vows to bring spending in line with its shrinking revenues, The Seattle Times Co. sliced the staff at its flagship newspaper by 125 employees this week.

Of the total, 73 were laid off and 52 left voluntarily, with 51 accepting buyout offers, spokeswoman Corey Digiacinto said.

The Times announced a month ago that, to help save $15 million, it would freeze 60 unfilled positions and lay off up to 131 employees. Voluntary departures trimmed the number of layoffs needed by more than 40 percent, Digiacinto said.

Before this week's cuts, The Times had 1,845 full-time and part-time employees.

In the newsroom, 19 workers accepted buyouts. They included classical-music critic Melinda Bargreen and nightlife writer Tom Scanlon.

Executive Editor David Boardman said the newspaper recognizes classical music and nightlife are important parts of the community, and plans to continue covering both beats.

"We have yet to figure out exactly who and how," he said.

Fifteen newsroom employees were laid off, including most suburban reporters. The Times has closed its news bureaus in Bellevue and Lynnwood and stopped publishing zoned editions for the Eastside and Snohomish County.

Some reporters will work out of a new bureau at the newspaper's production plant in Bothell, Boardman said.

Digiacinto would not provide a breakdown of layoffs and buyouts for other departments.

But the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, the largest union at the paper, said 49 of its members were laid off — 24 in circulation, eight in advertising and two in operations, in addition to the 15 in news.

In addition to the latest cuts, The Times announced earlier this year that it would lay off 17 employees, mostly in circulation.

Advertising revenues at The Times and most other metropolitan newspapers have declined in recent years, at least in part because readers and classified advertising have migrated to the Internet.