&c1=usa&c2=(none)&c3=MediaGuardian&c4=Media,Digital+media,Internet,Virgin+and+Richard+Branson+(Media)&c5=&c6=Amy+Vickers&c7=2000_12_01){kind=small}
- MediaGuardian,
- Friday December 1 2000
Internet service provider-turned-entertainment portal Virgin Net is making 30 staff redundant in what it is calling it "a consultative process".
A quarter of Virgin Net's 170 staff will be asked to leave before the new year.
All departments will be affected by the cull, in particular people working in technical, development and content roles. No senior jobs are said to be affected.
The company is making the cuts as part of the second phase of a restructure "to deliver growth and cost savings to reach profitability in 2002".
Alex Heath, managing director of Virgin Net, said: "Our decision to restructure in this way has been taken following an in-depth review of the way we operate.
"Every effort will be made to minimise the impact on those individuals that find themselves in redundant roles."
The move is being prompted by NTL, which owns 49% of Virgin Net, buying Virgin out and pooling the ISP subscribers into NTL World.
Virgin Net will now focus its efforts on positioning itself as an entertainment portal.
