Bauer to cut more jobs

Bauer Media is set to cut jobs at its radio group network of Big City stations in the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The group’s redundancy announcement comes just a week after it unveiled plans to cut staff in its advertising and magazine divisions.

At the time, Bauer’s chief executive Paul Keenan said structural changes and the “unprecedented commercial environment” had forced “huge change” in the media.

Bauer’s Big City radio network includes Key 103 in Manchester, Metro Radio in Newcastle, Radio City in Liverpool and Radio Aire in Leeds.

The Big City stations based in Scotland include Clyde 1 in Glasgow, Forth One in Edinburgh and Dundee-based Tay FM.

Redundancies are expected to be made on a station by station basis and not as part of a wider group review, though some Big City employees may be moved to different areas of Bauer’s business.

A Bauer Media spokesperson said: “In light of the continuing economic climate, we are looking to reshape some of our local teams.

“We have therefore reluctantly had to enter consultation with a small number of staff at each affected station to discuss these proposals. There will be no further comment until this consultation period has concluded.”

In the latest RAJAR release, Big City network reported an average weekly reach of around 4.55 million listeners.

Bauer has already been forced to cut around 15 jobs at its digital radio stations Heat and Q Radio, which have been relocated to shared studios outside of London.

Last week, the media group, which is also home to FHM, Heat, Grazia, Magic and Kiss, lost out in its bid to buy eight stations from Global Radio.

Phil Riley, the former chief executive of Chrysalis Radio, managed to secure a deal with venture capital group Lloyds TSB Development Capital to buy the Midlands stations from Global Radio, despite Bauer being the favourite in the negotiation period (see Ex-Chrysalis chief buys Global’s Midlands stations).