My sympathies go out to all who are losing their jobs. I now have been given names from today's tragic bloodletting of The Hollywood Reporter's staff. The trade has not only been thin, but only publishing digital version 19 days this holiday season. 
"It's really bad. They've moved beyond cutting bone to shaving off gristle. I'll be surprised if the print publication makes it all the way through 2009," an insider tells me. Names I'm hearing include film writers Leslie Simmons, Carolyn Giardina, Gregg Goldstein, plus lead TV critic Barry Garron and TV reporter Kimberly Nordyke, also special issues editor Randee Dawn Cohen out of New York and managing editor Harley Lond and international department editor Hy Hollinger, plus Dan Evans, Lesley Goldberg, Michelle Belaski, James Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, Variety.com editor Dana Harris announced this morning that the "Stylephile" 
blog is stopping and its newsletter publishing its final column on November 21st. It attempted to bring news of trends but was really just an excuse to attract high end advertising. Meanwhile, Variety may be about to fold Weekly Variety into Friday's Daily Variety. And the trade recently moved into refurbished office space. Also, Variety has shut its D.C. bureau and laid off Bill Triplett. With THR's bureau gone, neither trade is keeping full-time track of Hollywood/Washington.
In these difficult economic times does Hollywood really need TWO sycophantic ass kissing public relations driven trade publications with no journalistic credibility?
I think VARIETY fills the vacuous requirements of the position just fine.
Or as their headline might say if they go out of business:
HACKS AXE FLACKS TRACKS
Comment by ReelBusy — December 4, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
Nikki, by no means do I want to shoot the messenger, but your blog is making me want to kill myself today…
Comment by Erin — December 4, 2008 @ 2:40 pm
wow, guess hollywood is not “recession-proof” afterall… so much for the rational that entertainment is safe from mundane worries of finacial security…
Comment by Oh well — December 4, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Carolyn Giardina, Leslie Simmons, Gregg Goldstein, Harley Lond, Michelle Belaski, Lesley Goldberg, Dan Evans, James Gonzalez, Kimberly Nordyke, Barry Garron, Randee Dawn Cohen, Hy Holllinger and Backstage’s Lauren Horwich all got the axe.
Comment by ok — December 4, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Isn’t it worse to cut bone first? Who the hell wants gristle? In either case, a corpse is still a corpse, unfortunately.
Comment by Daniel — December 4, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
Hey Reelbusy:
Fuck you. Those are real people losing real jobs. Grow up.
Comment by steamed — December 4, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Reelbusy, actually, while I agree with your take on the overall focus of the trades, I think it would be awful if there was only one trade, particularly if the survivor was Variety. Peter Bart is a bully and if he has no competition, either editorially or on the ad side, then anyone who is covered by them is forced to further kiss his ass and pay whatever we have to for these stupid fucking vanity ads. At least, even in its withered, dying state, the Hollywood Reporter fills some role, unfortunately news is not it.
Comment by Clint Westwood — December 4, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
It will be a shame to have only one daily voice for the industry but at least it is the one I prefer.
With studios claiming they’ll stop the ego driven overkill on Oscar ads, what;s a trade paper to do. This is their Christmas season and historically has carried the re st of the year.
I admit that I rarely look at my print editions of the trades because I’ve read them before midnight the night before. And I prefer holding newspapers in my hand as I o with three newspapers daily.
Comment by gary — December 4, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
Yes, there will always be a need for two trades. The late Buzz magazine said it best: The motto of THR should be “We’re Number Two: We kiss ass harder.”
thanks for the updates, Nikki.
Comment by buzzkilled — December 4, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
Once again, THR drops off on the roadside some of their hardest workers. How did this 78 yr magazine get flayed and destroyed and how does the real excess of this company, and it sure ain’t in salaries, keep going unnoticed by the powers at Neilsen? My sympathies to all. Is our industry in the last days?!
Comment by Seussical — December 4, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Very sad and couldn’t be worse timing for the holidays, but with THR’s downward spiral, almost inevitable. I’ve worked with Leslie, Lauren, Kimberly, and Gregg before, and they were always a pleasure to deal - hope they bounce back soon in ‘09.
p.s. Nick Meyer (ex-Paramount Vantage) was always a good guy, too, esp circa his days at Sony Classics & Columbia-TriStar.
Comment by TistheSeason — December 4, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Unfortunately, the trades have to kiss ass to the egomaniacs at the studios to some degree and some of the a-hole directors the studios deal with because if they don’t, the studios pull ads. When I worked at The Hollywood Reporter,editors were often bullied by studio a-holes saying that if any type of negative story or film review ran, they would pull all of their ads, all hell would break loose, blah, blah, blah. So yes - unfortunately, the trades are just one big collection of press releases - often times, barely re-written from the original release itself. This is why Nikke’s blog is so important. The LA Weekly doesnt have to rely on big studios as advertisers so she is free to write the truth.
Comment by kojoto — December 4, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
Like clockwork, The Hollywood Reporter guts its staff every six months. It’s incredibly sad and enough is enough. Nielsen should sell the paper for scrap or just fold it. Let Variety stand alone. No one in Hollywood gives a shit about the trades anymore anyway.
Comment by Enoughalready — December 4, 2008 @ 7:16 pm
A friend of mine who used to work with Peter Bart, says that he’s been in a foul mood of late. Word on the street is that the parent company is gong to axe him next, which will be a blessing for everyone in Hollywood. Elizabeth Guider at the Reporter is a decent human being and not a racist monster like Bart.
Comment by Jimmy Knoxville — December 4, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
Kimberly Nordyke was an absolute delight who made it very easy to play ball over there. Total class act. And pregnant. Nice work, THR. Your loss is everyone else’s gain.
Comment by Shame Shame — December 4, 2008 @ 7:44 pm
Another loss…Randee Cohen. LOVED working with her. Got it done and was a pleasure.
Comment by Another shame... — December 4, 2008 @ 7:47 pm
Maybe I’m naive but I’ve always thought that Variety was an independent observer of the showbiz scene — film, tv, legit. I’ve trusted their articles and their reviews for decades and I have no reason to start doubting them now.
One complaint, though, is that most of their obituaries are from AP now. Variety obits used to be thorough and in-depth and with a certain savvy that you didn’t get elsewhere. Now they are the same superficial coverage you can get anywhere else.
Comment by Mike — December 4, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
Wow, my very own (sorta) Nikki Finke Diss! Today is even more special than the day I was canned!
Caroline “the former Variety Stylephile who attempts to cover trends” Ryder
http://www.carolineryder.com
Comment by Caroline Ryder formerly The Stylephile — December 4, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
To: Peter Bart Haters
From: GhostofWasserman
Re: You’re all a bunch of ignorant ass clowns with
the IQ of a diabetic monkey on crystal meth
Peter Bart is one of the most brilliant men in the business. I’ve read his books and essays and heard him speak and his insight and love of movies is unquestioned.
The hair he’s lost knows more about the business than any of you jerksoffs.
It is not surprising that some of you don’t like him. People who matter always make enemies and inspire debate.
Look at what the business was in Bart’s prime.
And look at it now.
Screw youse all!
Peter Bart for King of Hollywood!
Comment by GhostofWasserman — December 4, 2008 @ 10:14 pm
My best wishes go out to my colleagues who are still there, especially the copy desk which already was spread so thin after being hit hard by the four previous rounds of layoffs. They’re the heart and soul of the paper and among its hardest workers. Keep on keepin’ on, guys!
Comment by Axed — December 4, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
Peter Bart is racist? The only people of color I ever heard him diss were The Blue Men.
Comment by jussayin' — December 4, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
I used to work to be an intern at the Hollywood Reporter and Dan Evans was my boss/supervisor and one of the most hardworking people that I have meet. I respect him and wish him the best.
Comment by JMeyer — December 4, 2008 @ 11:33 pm
And with all the layoffs announced today, SAG is still looking to strike? Forget raises, how about we work on keeping people working.
Comment by Cynthia — December 4, 2008 @ 11:55 pm
Leslie Simmons also covered the labor beat and some legal stuff (she did a great job covering the Pellicano trial earlier this year) for HR as well. So, they’ve laid off their labor reporter in the midst of the biggest labor crisis in town. that’s smart.
Comment by ok — December 5, 2008 @ 5:59 am
The problem with THR is that moron Mika, who pretends to be a publisher. When he isn’t spunking half a million dollars in Asia to gain one, yes count’em, new subscriber — and Nikki you oughta ask why he’s so keen on Asia — he’s dropping another half in Cannes branding the Noga Hilton with THR logos. Guider must be tearing her hair out about the cretin — not only has he sacked all her staff but he’s put the freelance contributions on stop until the end of the year. No wonder THR has gone digital, there wouldn’t be enough stories for two sides of A4.
Comment by Mikamuppet — December 5, 2008 @ 6:10 am
Well what a shame
I remember the days the trades were king..now they’re just part of the overall shambles of the industry.
Sad these changing times..Let’s let the old owners take back over. They at least knew how to run the business
Comment by JRS — December 5, 2008 @ 7:25 am
The Reporter took a sharp turn downhill since Bob Dowling left and has not recovered, nor will it.
Comment by Anonymous — December 5, 2008 @ 7:38 am
Sympathy and best wishes for all those caught up in the latest bloodbath at THR. The farther away from Hollywood I get, the better I feel.
Comment by Peter Pryor, Gig Harbor, WA — December 5, 2008 @ 8:08 am
My condolences to former colleagues at THR who were unceremoniously axed … These are good and talented people with real skills to offer, and real bills to pay, and I wish them well in finding other career opportunities quickly… These are perilous times we live in , and we’d all do well to offer support , and not kick each other while we’re down… You can, and probably will be, next… People are our most precious resource, and we’re making a gargantuan mistake by squandering them for the sake of greedy and impatient shareholders, who’ve done nothing but created an environment of fear, which is not conducive to creative excellence… Time to reverse the death spiral!… J.
Comment by jerry — December 5, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Green (Daily Variety) and Red (Hollywood Reporter) are staffed with top-notch people whose skill and knowledege is wasted on rags that are of little use any more beyond stroking advertisers. Ever since Cahners bought DV, and HR expanded its holdings, neither has been a worthy publication of record for showbiz. What, in their heyday, was considered routine listings or even filler — production starts, casting, comings-and-goings, house nuts, ticket scales — now serves as a vivid chronicle for Hollywood scholars, where all the “For Your Consideration” and “Dear Dore” ads have hit the wayside. Billy Wilkerson at the Reporter was a corrupt hypocrite, but when Sime Silverman began Variety he maintained a strict separation between advertising and editorial that gave the industry class. Compare that with what DV and HR have become. Their euthanasia can be sadly added to the Motion Picture Herald, Box Office, and other trades whose function was usurped by IMDb, AICN, Rotten Tomatoes and other websites of varying cred. And there’s something else to consider: the trades, in their day, served hundreds of local bookers (movies, TV stations, auditoriums, legits, clubs, etc.) and entrepreneurs. Now that six mega-companies control pretty much every venue in the U.S., they can phone, e-mail, or text each other without waiting for the trades to hit their desks. What this industry still needs is an accurate, timely, unbiased, and expansive reporting vehicle. Until then, Tech Wrecks Trades’ Dreck.
Comment by Santayana — December 5, 2008 @ 9:07 am
Eric Mika focused on Asia = Girlfriend there!
Comment by sad 4 THR — December 5, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
“The Reporter took a sharp turn downhill since Bob Dowling left and has not recovered, nor will it.”
This is absolutely right.
Dowling came from sales, but he also valued strong editorial and creative thinking.
The current THR “leadership” obviously does not.
Comment by Ex-THR — December 5, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
That explains why Variety is so slow in being updated this past month. Not much news on their site at all. Just poorly written blow entries from Liz and company.
Comment by Georgine L — December 5, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
I worked as an editor at the Reporter for almost two decades and know what was what.
I recall only a couple of instances of real, pull-all-ads studio pressure that made it into the newsroom in my time there. In both cases, Bob Dowling made sure we were in the right and then stood up to the studios. In one case, we paid quite dearly for doing that.
I’m sure Bob endured a lot of threats, but he was a great insulator who respected editorial independence.
To comment here that THR editorial cowered from studio threats or pulled stories/reviews to save ad revenue is just ignorant.
Peace and love to all who lost their jobs.
Comment by Ex-THR twice — December 6, 2008 @ 3:34 am
I used to work for one of the trades in question — I can only giggle to read some of these comments criticizing the publications — some of the criticism rings true for sure. I can say with sincerity that there are many, many intelligent people who write for the trade I worked for, and at least half of them are kind, interesting and thoughtful as well, and I retain many friendships from my time there.
But overall, despite my personal feelings about those steering the ships (I’ve worked with both, on a personal level, one I have only positive things to say about, the other I can’t think of much positive — you all can guess which one gets my praise) and some of the others at the publications, we should all share in the sadness that print journalism in Los Angeles is a fading flower, and I’m sorry for everyone who has lost their job. I was laid off myself from one of these publications, and ended up at a place where I’m much happier, so I can only wish good fortune to all of those who find themselves jobless in this most difficult of holiday seasons.
Comment by Interesting — December 6, 2008 @ 9:38 am
When Lynne Segall and Bob Dowling left the Hollywood Reporter that was the end.
I worked in sales for 8 years for an outstanding newspaper filled with hard work, great care and integrity on Lynne and Bob’s watch.
Now it is not worth the paper it is printed on.
Very sad to see it come to this.
Nikki has taken over the arena!!
Comment by Carol — December 7, 2008 @ 10:40 am
Paul Sweeting of reports on what the Hollywood lobbying in DC. He’s well worth reading on a regular basis, both his column in Video Business and his “Media Wonk” blog at Content Agenda:
http://www.videobusiness.com/community/Sweeting/47283.html
http://www.contentagenda.com/blog/1500000150.html
Comment by ken — December 7, 2008 @ 11:25 am
I worked for THR for more than 10 years as one of its main bureau chiefs and also in LA as well as Variety before that. I was laid off at Christmas a few years ago to cut costs, even though they still had to pay office rent for six months and left around $10,000 worth of equipment for the taking. But I was lucky to work in THR’s golden years,when Bob Dowling beefed up international and I got to open up Asia for them. His departure, and Lynne Segall’s, began the decline.
The clue-less and uber ego-driven Mika and the take-over have literally gutted THR in an indecently short period. Intl coverage has been put on hold and THR’s brand and goodwill in Asia is in tatters. While THR and Variety’s business models may be nearing their use-by date, there were good people at THR, locally and international, and we had some great times together. I wish all those who have been let go all the best -my heart especially goes out to Hy Hollinger, a true trade paper veteran.
Comment by Doch — December 8, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
I also worked at THR for years and was hired during the Dowling era and it’s good to see the goodwill in these comments toward those who were let go despite herculean effort. I was cut in an earlier trip to the shed but have no regrets on what a team of like-minded, dedicated workers accomplished on a daily basis, past and present.
The downward trajectory, post-Dowling, is easy to track: Dowling was gone and two ‘publishers’ in a row were undone by their own incompetence when they could’ve manned the fort and done minimum harm before the only VP left in the buiding, Mika, scuttled to the top of the branch on all fours. From there, along with an ops team that knows goobers about publishing, you have the anatomy of a trainwreck. Not to mention the outsourcing, Kool-Aid drinking and select several inept favorites still looking out for #1. My best to those laid off and to the strong ones left. Nikki it was nice to see you handle this tenderly.
Comment by A Matter of Time — December 8, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
As the death rattle shakes it’s last, I too am sad for all those who have given their all to stave off the final quiver. For 11 yrs I had the great pleasure of working with Bob and Lynne and the many, many talented people from all over the world - we worked hard and took pride in THR - it was an exciting place to work. Over the last 2 yrs THR has lost it’s soul, it’s character, but perhaps the reality is also a reflection of the dilution of power the two trades now have. Best wishes to all my former colleagues - as one door closes, another will open
Comment by Cruserdownunder — December 9, 2008 @ 12:28 am
Variety, despite the bad economy, still kicked THR’s ass. Bottom line. And even if Variety lay off some of its staff, it wasn’t as fast or as large as THR’s cuts. With that said, I don’t understand why in a situation where a business has to layoff employees the cuts don’t start at the top? If the goal is to save money, why not cut the big salaries? And why all the trips to foreign countries? Did Elizabeth really need to go to France for MIP-TV? Does Eric’s frequent to Asia and India show any results? Wow.
Comment by truthbetold — December 9, 2008 @ 10:48 am
Good thing THR still had the coin to send a reporter to Cuba for really no reason at all while it was firing 17 people. Sounds like good business to me!
Comment by LongGone — December 9, 2008 @ 11:28 pm
They had the coin to send their publisher to the Middle East and pay for things like VIP parking when people are being laid off. That paper is a joke.
Comment by Another one bites it — December 17, 2008 @ 5:18 pm