The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Information / Communication Publishing Of Information; Production And Programming Of Audiovisual Programming And Broadcasting Activities 60 - Programming and broadcasting activities
150 - 170 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
12 September 2016
Employment effect (start)
12 September 2016
Foreseen end date
31 December 2022
Description
On 12 September 2016, WDR Mediagroup confirmed its restructuring plans which implies between 150 and 170 jobs cuts from a total of 470 positions by the end of 2022. WDR Mediagroup offers marketing and other services in the media sector. The Cologne based commercial WDR Mediagroup is a subsidiary of WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk), a state-run broadcasting service.
In January 2016, the federal state government of North Rhine-Westphalia released a law to reduce the amount of advertising on state radio stations. This legislation foresees the reduction of advertising time from 90 to 75 minutes on an average per day by 2017 and a further reduction to 60 minutes by 2019. The new law equally limits the number of radio station provides allowed to run advertisement
The management confirmed the job cuts were needed to stay competitive due to the projected decrease in advertising income. The company will try to carry out the restructuring in a socially acceptable manner and negotiations with the company's works council are already taking place.
Sources
12 September 2016: WDR Press Release
12 September 2016: Quotenmeter.de
12 September 2016: radiowoche.de
Citation
Eurofound (2016), WDR mediagroup , Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 88546, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/88546.
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