Layoffs Hit Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter After Restructuring at Parent Company

Editorial staffs at the two publications were not affected

Twenty-two people have been laid off at Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter as parent company Valence Media undergoes a restructuring of its business operations, according to an individual familiar with the cuts.

The layoffs were part of an attempt to streamline the company’s business operations, eliminating  redundancies and over-staffing in certain areas. The individual told TheWrap that the cuts were about retooling the business strategy and not economic decisions.

There were five departments within the business operations that were impacted.

The editorial staffs of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter were not affected by the layoffs, according to the person. Dana Miller, who served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, was a casualty of the layoffs.

The individual told TheWrap that while the company is cutting jobs now, the head count should actually go up over the next several months as the company looks to hire roughly 40 additional people as part of the reorganization.

Valence Media launched last year through the combination of three media companies: Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (“Billboard-Hollywood Reporter”), dick clark productions (“dcp”) and MRC.

Valence is led by Asif Satchu and Modi Wiczyk, the co-founders and co-CEOs of MRC. Satchu and Wiczyk serve as co-CEOs of Valence, while Todd Boehly serves as Chairman.

The company has not announced a replacement for John Amato, who stepped down as CEO of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard media group last July after the company launched an investigation into whether he interfered in stories about former Republic Records president Charlie Walk, who was accused of sexual harassment.

Variety was first to report the layoff news.

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