Another round of layoffs at Belo

The A.H. Belo chain, which counts the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Dallas Morning News among its newspapers, announced a new round of layoffs today in a memo from CEO Robert Decherd.

Decherd buries the lede a bit, waiting til the sixth graf to say that 500 jobs could be on the chopping block:

The most significant cost initiative will be a further reduction in force across the Company. The revenue trends we continue to experience simply do not support or require the same number of people as we have previously employed. This reduction in force will impact all of the operating companies and corporate, and will probably be in the range of 500 jobs. Specifics about the reduction in force plan will be communicated as soon as possible, but no later than mid-February.

Additionally, Belo will suspend company matches to 401k accounts and limit reimbursements for work-related expenses. Employees will also have the pleasure of paying to come to work:

Similarly, it is no longer reasonable for the Company to provide free parking in downtown Dallas. A monthly charge of $40 will take effect May 1, 2009 for all downtown Dallas surface lots owned by the Company. Parking for A. H. Belo employees in the garage of The Belo Building will be increased from $40 per month to $70 per month. Bus and rail passes in Dallas will have charges ranging from $18.75-$30 per month beginning May 1. Combined, these fees will generate approximately $520,000 per year. We are looking at the possibility of similar transportation-related charges in Riverside and Providence.

(Decherd memo comes via Romenesko)

Ho-Ho-Hold On To Your Savings*, **

As employees in Singleton's LANG group tried to turn the page on an ugly 2008, they were greeted with a grinchly memo regarding their retirement plans - dated, fittingly, Christmas Eve.

The memo, from VP of Human Resources Charles Kamen, says MediaNews will suspend its contributions to employee 401k plans for the whole of 2009, with the hope that contributions will resume in 2010. Here's the relevant passage:

In an effort to operate our business as cost effectively as possible, the Company has made the decision to suspend all Company contributions and matches to the 401k Plan for 2009.

With you support and continued efforts, I am hopeful that we can resume the Company contributions in 2010.

*The Dec. 24th memo was posted on walls and doors inside the Daily Breeze office today. Checking to see if other LANGers got the news in a similarly indirect manner.

**UPDATE: The memo were indeed posted in other newsrooms. I'm also told the decision to eliminate the contribution only affects non-unionized employees, since the union contract mandates a match.