Emap axes UK staff as websites close

Amy Vickers
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday March 27 2001 18.30 BST

Emap Digital is to close around a dozen websites with the loss of at least 20 staff at its UK office.

In wide-ranging cutbacks at its internet operation, Emap is slashing its digital spend for the third time and said as many as 100 jobs could be lost from its worldwide total of around 400 Emap Digital staff.

Emap announced early last year that £250m would be spent on digital projects over three years, but in November the publisher said it was halving the funds available.

The latest cutback means Emap Digital's expenditure for 2001 will not exceed £25m - half what it spent on new media activities in 2000.

The cost of laying off staff and closing websites is expected to amount to £10m.

Websites for the chop include the online version of Screen International, Screendaily.co.uk; the website for advertising and film promotions magazine Shots; Motherandbaby.co.uk; and a number of outdoor websites such as anglingtimes.com, golferworld.com and salmonandtrout.com.

Other websites, such as the music and travel sites, could be affected in the longer-term.

So far Emap Digital's music arm has launched Q4music.com and Mojo4music.com but it is thought that it may to look to merge these and the four other planned individual music websites in a bid to cut costs.

Travel is another area where Emap Digital is seen as having a fragmented strategy and may look to consolidate.

However, a travel portal was pulled before Christmas with around 30 staff working on the project redeployed elsewhere within the division.

Emap Digital reiterated it would now concentrate on the "big eight", which is understood to include FHM, its music websites, Motorcyclenews, Maxpower, Construction News, its joint venture with Wanadoo in France, travel sites and Autolocate.

The restructure follows the company's recent closure of Slam, its internet joint venture with Channel 4 aimed at the teenage market.

Group chief executive Kevin Hand said changes would be phased in slowly, implying more cutbacks and website closures.

"We are committed to the digital business but it would be irresponsible to plough on with projects irrespective. We are taking action in a timely fashion," he said.