- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
MSN Entertainment is letting go an unspecified number of freelance movie critics, bloggers, junket writers and television recappers on Wednesday, according to an e-mail sent by editor Kent Laird.
“Unfortunately, I am writing you to let you know that effective 10/1/2013 our freelance budget has gone away entirely,” Laird, lead editor for MSN Movies and TV, wrote in the e-mail to freelancers obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “I wish I could say it’s been lowered substantially and we’d just be reducing the work we are doing, but to be honest, it has been taken away and is at $0 for the remainder of the fiscal year.”
STORY: AOL Sells Music, Comics Sites
MSN attracted 116 million unique visitors in August, according to comScore. Along with AOL and Yahoo, it is consistently one of the most heavily trafficked U.S. news portals.
MSN Entertainment includes music, movies, television and pop culture verticals that draw heavily from partner content. It also includes a number of blogs — among them The Hit List, Page-Turner, Uproar, TV Buzz, and Reverb — with freelancer bylines.
Laird stated in the e-mail that all assignments — including any “blogging, columns, recapping, reviews” — will be canceled as of Sept. 30. “While we aren’t quite sure yet of some final direction of the site, I am sure that I speak for everyone on the team when I say that working with each of you has been a pleasure and we will truly miss all the interactions we have had,” the editor’s e-mail stated.
It’s unclear what the future of these blogs will be or how many freelancers/contract contributors are affected by the cuts. Microsoft declined to comment to THR when contacted on Wednesday.
While MSN is losing some entertainment freelancers, some contractors may be added as full-time employees. “We are increasing the full-time staffing and permanent spend by converting some vendor dollars,” Brian MacDonald, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Apps, Media and Publishing group, told The Seattle Times.
Email: Erik.Hayden@thr.com
Twitter: @Erik_Hayden
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day