Film mags would drop The critics first

Variety Lays Off Two Critics in an Overhaul

Todd McCarthy, Variety's chief film critic, and David Rooney, its chief theater critic, lost their jobs on Monday amid a broad reorganization and staff cuts at the entertainment industry trade paper.

By MICHAEL CIEPLY, The New York Times

Published: March 8, 2010

Neil Stiles, Variety's president, said it was shifting to a policy of carrying only freelance reviews, and added that he hoped Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Rooney would continue to write for the paper.

Mr. McCarthy, a 31-year veteran of Variety, said of his firing: "It's the end of something, I don't know what." Mr. Rooney did not respond to queries. "It's economic reality," Mr. Stiles said of the rationale for the job cuts, which totaled eight staff members.
Many publications have eliminated their staff critics in recent years, but the move to drop staff reviewers at Variety signaled a new level of difficulty for entertainment media that only a few years ago were fat with movie ads.

The recent Oscar season, however, brought no advertising bonanza, as studios increasingly relied on Web ads and personal appearances to promote their awards contenders. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/business/media/09variety.html?ref=business