TORONTO - The publishing division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX:RCI.B) cut about 40 jobs on Wednesday due to a drop in advertising at its magazines.
The exact number of jobs affected wasn't disclosed by the company but a source familiar with the situation said it involved about four per cent of the division's workforce or about 40 people.
A company spokesman confirmed that staff in Toronto and Montreal had been notified Wednesday morning but he declined to say how many people were cut or which publications were affected.
The division produces some of Canada's most prominent consumer magazines, including Maclean's, Chatelaine and L'Actualite, in addition to dozens of business and professional publications.
"The drop in advertising spending has been even deeper than we and other media companies globally had originally anticipated so we, unfortunately, had to make the decision to eliminate a number of positions," said Rogers Publishing spokesman Suneel Khanna.
The sales slump "impacts a broad cross-section of our business" so advertising sales, production and editorial jobs were affected, Khanna said.
Rogers Publishing is part of Rogers Media, which also includes the Sportsnet specialty channels, conventional television stations and radio broadcasters as well as their Internet publications.
