The Seven Network is anticipating the elimination of up to 200 positions across its television and newspaper operations in the coming days, according to reports.
The Age has learned, through multiple sources with knowledge of the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly, that some staff in the network's television newsroom have been notified that their roles will be affected this week.
Additionally, employees at West Australian Newspapers have been asked to express interest in voluntary redundancy packages.
These developments come just under a month after Rohan Lund assumed the role of chief executive of Southern Cross Media, the entity formed by the merger of Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo.
Mr. Lund previously indicated his preference for a "lean" corporate structure at SCA during an appearance at the Mumbrella360 conference. When questioned about recent and future job cuts in the radio division, he acknowledged the "pain" involved but emphasized that it is "just the nature of the business."
"Amazon’s still one of the fastest growing companies in the world, and they let go 30,000 people. We see that across all of the world’s growth businesses too," he said, as reported by Mumbrella. "There’s a natural resetting of your cost base, and responding to cyclical conditions. And it’s hard, and it’s awful when that happens, but I can definitely see radio has gone through it more than anyone else in media from what I can see at the moment."
"And in our business, I’ll be looking at the cost base. I don’t want hide from that, and I’ve told staff that. I had it as one of the things I’ll focus on, resetting the cost base."
Seven has been approached for further comment regarding the redundancies.
In February, SCA chief executive and managing director Jeff Howard abruptly exited the company "effective immediately." Mr. Howard, formerly the head of Seven West Media, took on the role following the $400 million merger. In a statement released on the ASX at the time, board chair Heith Mackay-Cruise said he had assumed the role of interim executive chair.
"All business unit leaders and corporate services will report to him," the statement read. "The Board has appointed an executive search firm to undertake a global search for SCA’s next CEO."
Mr. Mackay-Cruise thanked Mr. Howard for his time and "efforts across the period of transition." He added, "The board is confident in our team’s capability to apply the financial discipline and industry-leading expertise to drive scale and performance for Southern Cross Media Group going forward."
