UPDATE: Layoffs continue at PRO TV

UPDATE: Several Pro TV departments were targeted by layoffs at PRO TV during the first day of restructuring, these being the PR, promo, Povestiri from Acasa channel as well as the technical department.

Approximately 20 out of 50 people working in the production department were laid off, plus sound engineers, image directors, broadcasting directors, technical directors, set assistants and grahic specialists, according to paginademedia.ro.

In total, 30 people in the technical department were let go, together with 10 people from PR, 20 from the Promo department and 30 from Acasa TV, according to Paginademedia.ro.

This week it is expected that the redundancies will continue.

Pro TV started the layoffs on May 9.  The entire PR and communication department of Pro TV was dissolved and the people were laid off, according to paginademedia.ro.

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In total, 10 people in charge with communicating for all the channels owned by Pro TV- namely Pro TV, Acasa TV, Pro Cinema, Sport.ro and the radio channels under the Pro TV umbrella- were made redundant.

According to paginademedia.ro quoting inside sources, employees were not given any explanation.

An employee told the publication that “We were told they would cease the collaboration with us and we should leave the building in half an hour. The bodyguards even asked us nicely to leave and not give them trouble. They switched off our computers for no reason,” the employee said.

“Right now, we are waiting to be given a paper because we have no explanation as to the reason for which we were fired,” said another employee who wished to remain anonymous.

The employees allegedly called the police.

The next department where there will be redundancies is the promo department which employs 20 people, according to paginademedia.ro

“The successful implementation of the new PRO TV strategy that aims to strengthen its leader position on the Romanian TV market needs a process of organizational reconsideration. As part of this process, our collaboration with a part of service providers was reconsidered, to make the company operations more efficient,” said Aleksandras Cesnavicius, general manager of Pro TV. “For us, efficiency does not mean cost reduction at any price, but reorganizing them and making investments in a more intelligent manner by focusing on those areas that are visible and important for our viewers. And this approach will be implemented with the help of the best, talented and dedicated people from our team,” he added.

A wave of massive layoffs is rumored to be starting at Pro TV, according to Click tabloid, which quoted inside sources that say that approximately 200 employees across all departments, representing nearly half of the number of employees, will be made redundant.

The move was not confirmed by Pro TV officials.

At the beginning of this week, Pro TV sent an official statement saying that it will retain successful programs such as Vocea Romaniei, Masterchef and Las Fierbinti in its fall schedule. The station will continue to retain key figures such as Andreea Esca, Oana Cuzino, Andi Moisescu, Catalin Maruta, Andra, Cabral and others, according to Aleksandras Cesnavicius, general manager of Pro TV.

Otilia Haraga