MSNBC Lays Off 9 Pct. of Web Staff

The Associated Press Monday, December 3, 2001; 4:37 PM

NEW YORK –– MSNBC's Web site laid off 9 percent of its staff – about 18 people – Monday, citing a downturn in advertising revenues. The cable television news channel wasn't affected.

Cherylynne Crowther, a spokeswoman for MSNBC.com, declined to disclose an exact number of layoffs but said they were equivalent to 9 percent of the company's staff of approximately 200.

MSNBC.com is based in Redmond, Wash. The Web site, like the cable news channel MSNBC, is half-owned by Microsoft Corp., which is also based in Redmond, and half by General Electric Co.'s NBC.

Ona Karasa, the general manager of MSNBC.com, told staff in a memo that "the reductions are in response to an industrywide decline in advertising spending, and personnel cuts came only after we examined and cut back spending in all other areas."

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2001