Another Wave of Job Cuts at Media House

DUBAI - One of the UAE’s largest publishing houses has announced another wave of job cuts in the face of declining advertising.

By Martin Croucher && David Light

Published: Thu 26 Feb 2009, 1:26 AM

Last updated: Wed 8 Apr 2015, 1:26 PM

Eight editorial staff were laid off from ITP’s consumer division in Garhoud on Tuesday as staff are panicked over where the axe will fall next.

The staff were sacked from a range of titles including Viva, Harpers Bazaar and Emirates Home. The layoffs come after the publishers cut a range of titles including most recently, Viva Girl and Airport Middle East.

The move comes after several other media companies reported a fall in advertising owing to the real estate downturn.

“ITP continues to maintain a strong, vibrant regional publishing, events and internet business in the Middle East and Indian markets,” an ITP spokesman said, explaining the closures.&“Today’s market reflects a number of changed priorities and market conditions that bring new challenges but also, ultimately, new opportunities. The company is refining its operations to ensure that it continues to meet market needs and provide value to the organisation and people it serves and remains committed to providing media that lead the way,” he said.

Emily Baxter, former editor of Viva Girl magazine, told the Khaleej Times that she and members of her three-person team had come out to Dubai specifically to work on the magazine when it launched in October last year.

“We didn’t come out here for the money, we came to work on a magazine we all believed in,” she further said.

“We were passionate about it and we all worked really hard.

“The magazine was immensely popular with the readers and I am disappointed to let them down.”

In December last year the company closed Education Times, Dentist Middle East and Medical Times.

Moreover, staff say that several titles have been restructured and there have been other redundancies, notably in Arabian Travel Business.

Earlier this month, ninety employees were made redundant at City 7 TV after the company head said three loss-making TV shows, City women, In Gear and The Kids’ Club, were cancelled.

Mohiuddin Bin Hendi, Chief Executive of Bin Hendi Enterprises and the channel’s owner told Khaleej Times, “They were given their letter and informed that their services were no longer required.

At the moment HR is dealing with it but we will abide by every rule in this country.

“Everyone did a wonderful job but the programmes were not making money and how much can I be expected to fund them without sponsors?”

news@khaleejtimes.com