Even though the Tucson Citizen is hardly a dominant media force these days, its parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., with 84 other newspapers, is the nation’s largest publisher of daily newspapers, which is not exactly a growing business in these economic times.

So when Gannett lays off 10 percent of its workforce in a single week - around 2,000 people - it’s probably accurate to say it’s the single biggest layoff in newspaper history.

In a Dec. 4 e-mail to staffers Jennifer Boice, interim editor of the Citizen, said in the newsroom, two people were laid off, another took a severance package, others had their hours trimmed involuntarily and some unfilled vacancies will remain that way.

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Additionally, she said, all newsroom employees will have their salaries frozen for one year.

She didn’t identify the names of those who are gone but others said it included Dina Doolen, editor of the TastePlus section, and Blake Morlock, political reporter. Doolen was the employee who took the severance.

Outside the newsroom, Tucson Newspapers laid off fewer than 10 employees but did not institute the wage freeze. Tucson Newspapers is the agency, jointly owned with the Lee Enterprises’ Arizona Daily Star, that sells advertising, produces and distributes the two newspapers.

More local layoffs 

Local media layoffs aren’t exclusive to print. At KVOA 4 last week, staffers were told Yvette Perez, director of marketing and communication, was laid off along with long-time engineer Walter Carter.

At the Journal Broadcast Group, Walker Foard, who had been the radio group’s production manager - and, if I might add, one of the market’s most talented people - had his job eliminated Dec. 3, after 15 years.

Now it’s just ‘Mega’

Radio station KGMG 106.3-FM/104.9-FM is now calling itself just “Mega” instead of “Mega Oldies.” The new slogan is “Tucson’s Old School and R&B.”

The Journal Broadcast Group station made the change Dec. 1 as part of a format adjustment to broaden the station’s playlist to include music from the 1980s and 1990s, along with the 1960s and 70s.

Program Director Ken Carr says the adjustment now means Mega will play a bigger variety of music with songs from artists including Prince, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye and Kool & The Gang. 

Hear those sleigh bells

Boy howdy time flies. Two weeks ago in this column I asked if anyone would be surprised if Mix-FM KMXZ 94.9-FM started playing holiday music the day after Thanksgiving. Even though they keep it a secret every year, I had recalled it seemed the station had done it every year for at least four years. Make that four times four years.

Yes, Mix-FM is now playing all-holiday music. The Journal Broadcast Group station started at midnight Nov. 28. But, according to Mix-FM’s announcement, this is the 16th year it has played continuous holiday music. They’ll keep it up until midnight Dec. 25.

Is that snow I see?

For desert dwellers who might miss looking at a little snow or watching a snowman this time of the year, the video-on-demand service on Cox and Comcast digital cable systems is offering two new free programs that might just fill the bill. One is called Winter Green and the other is Snowman. They’re companions to the  burning Yule log that’s been around for years that features a crackling fire in a fireplace.

All three of the features are shot in high-definition and are accompanied by holiday music. Winter Green shows a snowy pine forest setting and the Snowman is decked out in a top hat, scarf and neckerchief (carrot nose included) withstanding a windy, snowy storm.

The features are available starting today (Dec. 8). On Cox, go to the video-on-demand Free Zone. On Comcast, you’ll find them in the TV Entertainment section of video-on-demand, among the “top picks.”

UA journalism now a ‘school’

The University of Arizona’s journalism department is now a School of Journalism. According to a statement from Director Jacqueline Sharkey the new designation by the Arizona Board of Regents “enables us to apply for research and educational grants only available to schools or colleges” and puts its graduates on “a more level playing field as they compete with students from journalism schools around the country for national and international internships and jobs,”

Journalism has 630 students who are majors and pre-majors at the UA.

Contact David Hatfield at dhatfield@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4237. Inside Tucson Media appears weekly.