CNET layoffs aren’t foreboding
As you might’ve read, yesterday CNET (internally) announced 120 layoffs across the board, including some well-respected tech writers you may have read. Naturally this is a pretty big bummer (and any CNET eds looking for a gig, feel free to hit me up!), but it’s also important to realize that, strangely enough, CNET isn’t really a tech media industry bellwether, and these cuts come amidst two years of downward-headed stock prices even while the rest of the industry — even some still supporting legacy print publications — reported record numbers. I suppose it’s not all that different from the dips TWX took for an under-performing AOL post-Miller (aside, lots of interesting stuff in this week’s Fast Company profile about the company I work for). It’s pretty clear CNET was long overdue for some belt-tightening, but I suppose the only question now is whether they tightened the right belts across their myriad properties.
Interesting insight. I’m a big fan of CNET TV, and I’m sure a lot of people who follow the “Web 2.0″ shows like Diggnation, Mahalo Daily, and others also watch a lot of CNET TV. Therefore, the news of such a large number of layoffs raised the fear that people like Molly Wood, Tom Merritt, Nicole Lee, et al, would be let go. However, I think that we have to understand the separation between CNET the company and CNET TV. The poor performance of CNET as a company seems to be the reason for the personnel reductions and does not really say anything about the viability of CNET TV. Unless I’m missing something?
Comment by Anjuan — Thursday, March 27, 2008 @ 4:35 pm