NBC Restructures Creative Services at O&Os
Layoffs to come as centralized strategy groups aid stations
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/7/2009 1:31:48 PM
NBC Local Media is overhauling its creative services strategy, which will result in substantial layoffs in that department at its 10 owned stations. The downsized creative services departments, headed up by a director at the station level, will get support from centralized media planning and sales marketing teams, along with an outside creative agency that has worked with the group in the past.
The teams complimenting the station staffs will be based in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
An NBC spokesperson did not offer a timeframe for the restructuring.
NBC has made “Locals Only” the theme of its local strategy, recasting the station Websites with celebrity news and insider info about market hotspots.
“Creative services executives at each station will determine their local market branding campaigns and promotion strategies, working closely with a newly formed media and planning strategy group, a division-wide sales marketing team, and an award winning outside creative agency,” the company said in a statement.
The TV critic Ed Bark reported that Dallas O&O KXAS was laying off 10 creative services staffers as of Sept. 18.
NBC billed the overhaul as “a new kind of marketing approach that better reflects the demands of today's local media marketplace.”
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NBC isn't responding to ANY demands from ANY marketplace. Call it what it is... layoffs! I find it hard to believe that local stations volunteered to fire people so the big bad NBC wolf can come in and save the day
Some dude - 8/10/2009 8:50:52 AM EDT -
Last time I checked, awards didn't translate to ratings.
Mike - 8/7/2009 4:25:48 PM EDT
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