In a meeting with staffers yesterday, the new publisher of the L.A. Times , Eddy Hartenstein, said owner Sam Zell promised him complete autonomy in running the paper and that his top priority was increasing revenue rather than cutting costs.
Hartenstein said he had no plans for more job cuts, and no orders from Tribune management to further reduce staff. “I don’t need this job,” he told the room full of staffers. If Zell reneges on his word to let him do his thing, he said, “I’m gone.”
Prior to this talk, staffers were really concerned about another round of layoffs. Rumor had it another 150-200 jobs were going to be eliminated in September.