Global Radio is laying off around 40 of its 112-strong online and interactive team, paidContent:UK has confirmed with the company. Five of the 22 people on its London-based team will be made redundant and staff are being asked to re-apply for their jobs. The cuts will affect online staff for stations including London-based Xfm.
The move comes after Global bought up Capital and Xfm operator GCap Media last year, after GCap tried to develop a broadband-centric plan to fend off bidders. Other parts of the business, including marketing and sales, went through redundancies last year, but this seems designed to eliminate what may be considered too much job overlap in online, which inherited interactive teams from both GCap and Global.
It’s thought some online workers, until now dedicated to output for individual stations, may be asked to maintain multiple sites. A new content management system is due to be rolled out and the iPhone/iPod touch streaming app that GCap brought to the party last year is due to be rolled out to other stations, a spokesperson told Brand Republic, adding it’s part of a cost-cutting plan implemented by new radio CEO and former Mail Online MD Stephen Miron.