This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The second-largest US newspaper publisher, the Tribune company, is planning to cut 700 jobs, accounting for about 6% of its total workforce.

The cuts, mainly at its newspaper division, come ahead of the company separating its publishing assets and broadcasting businesses.

The Chicago-based Tribune publishes eight newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, and operates 23 TV stations across the US.

Reuters reports on a memo sent by Peter Liguori, Tribune's chief executive, to employees in which he wrote about the "selective reduction of our publishing staff… ensuring the long-term strength of our mastheads."

Liguori reportedly told the LA Times that the "majority" of the job losses would be in "non-reader-facing functions". In others words, they would largely affect commercial rather than editorial posts.

Tribune, which emerged from bankruptcy last year, has attracted interest from potential buyers keen to purchase its newspaper titles – particularly the LA Times.

They are said to include Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch.

Sources: Reuters/WSJ/FT