Postmedia plans to cut salary expenses as quarterly loss nearly doubles
TORONTO — Postmedia said Thursday it plans to reduce its salary costs by 20 per cent through voluntary staff buyouts, adding that layoffs are possible if that target isn’t met as it announced net losses that nearly doubled in its most recent quarter.
Staff have until Nov. 8 to apply for the buyouts, the company said, with reductions coming from all levels and operations.
The newspaper chain announced the cost-cutting measure as it reported a fourth-quarter loss of $99.4 million or 35 cents per diluted share. That’s up from a loss of $54.1 million or 19 cents per diluted share for the same period a year ago.
Revenue for the quarter ended Aug. 31 totalled $198.7 million, down from $230.2 million. Postmedia attributed most of the revenue loss to a 21.3 per cent drop in print advertising and eight per cent fall in print circulation.