SBS discharge quarter of staff – The Guardian

SBS was forced to lay off a quarter of the workforce. That set the insiders compared to the AD.

The reorganization is inevitable, because the tv company for years, struggling with moderate ratings. Also in the top drop fired. Recently, the marketing director and the head of the digital department put on the street.

Continuous kosteninnovatie
SBS (SBS Broadcasting, SBS Productions and Veronica Uitgeverij) accounted last year for about 500 employees. That there are now approximately 440. For the end of the year and disappear according to sources, a further dozens of jobs and there would be plans are also in 2017 a layoff. According to some insiders, the original workforce by the middle of next year, with almost a quarter had dwindled. Internal is spoken of a ‘continuous cost innovation” (continuous kosteninnovatie).

It comes in the last few years, although slightly better with ratings of the zendergroep (SBS 6, Veronica, Net 5, SBS 9), especially since they have the Champions League in their house. But SBS pays reportedly a sloppy 20 million per year for broadcasting rights. Ratio delivers the football on the whole is very low. Still remains the zendergroep in terms of viewing figures far behind NPO and RTL.

Marriage is not perfect
The marriage between shareholders, publisher Sanoma and John de Mols production company Talpa, is far from perfect. Sanoma, has more experience of the kijkcijfercrisis than The Mole who regularly said SBS to be regarded as a testing ground for new tv formulas, and then bring them internationally to sell.

The mediamagnaat is internationally highly regarded, partly due to mega hits like Big Brother and The Voice, but on their own soil scores the group, but moderately. Sanoma has insufficient resources to be even more SBS to invest. Talpa has that, but The Mol wants in return is more control over the programming. Rumors about a rift between the shareholders keep to.

On the ontslagrondes responds SBS: ,,SBS is a healthy and sustainable company because we respond to the developments around us. Sometimes questions to a new way of working or more efficient processes, as we will continue to look like many other companies do. It may also be that we in the future with something less or other people to continue, but not by the anonymous ‘insiders’ these numbers.”