Tribune Whacks 120 People

FTVLive FIRST told you that Tribune was laying people off and cutting newscasts in an effort to make themselves more attractive for a sale.

Now, we have some numbers of how many people kicked to the curb.

The Houston Chronicle writes that Tribune laid off 120 employees in Texas, including 52 based in Houston, due to the media company's cancellation of the "Morning Dose" and "NewsFix" shows, according to a notice the company filed with the Texas Workforce Commission.

The layoffs will take effect on Nov. 6, Tribune said in its letter.

The company claims that the two shows failed to produce expected revenues or ratings.

"Taking these steps will enable us to reallocate the resources devoted to these shows to other areas of our broadcasting business, including the further expansion of local news in several markets," said Larry Wert, Tribune's broadcasting president.

A new three-hour local morning newscast block for The Houston station is slated for the fall in lieu of the shows.

---