The Charlotte Observer will offer voluntary buyouts to an unidentified number of employees, according to the newspaper's Web site.
The McClatchy Co. (NYSE: MNI) owns the Observer, one of the newspapers purchased as part of the Knight Ridder Inc. deal in mid-2006. Sacramento-based McClatchy has been cutting costs and offering buyouts for employees at several of its newspapers, including The Sacramento Bee and the The (Raleigh) News & Observer.
Observer publisher Ann Caulkins was not available for comment regarding the number of employees the newspaper hopes will accept the offer. In addition, the Observer will cut 13 part-time telemarketing positions and offer those employees severance packages.
According to the Web site, the newspaper will cut staff to offset a decline in advertising revenue.
The moves are expected to reduce the company's work force by less than 5 percent. The Observer has almost 1,200 employees.
The buyouts are to be completed by May 30, the Observer says.
Howard "Champagne wishes and caviar dreams" Weaver was not available for comment.
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Previous McClatchy layoffs and buyouts this spring:
Raleigh News & Observer offers buyouts to 230 employees
Fort Worth Star Telegram cutting 15 positions
Miami Herald offering buyouts to veteran staff
Buyouts offered to 100 at McClatchy's Modesto Bee
Seattle Times to cut 200 jobs
Sacramento Bee downsizing - buyouts offered to some employees
