MEDIA

Los Angeles Times Plans Limited Employee Buyout: In reaction to continuing difficulties in the Southern California economy, The Times announced a limited voluntary buyout aimed at reducing overall staff by about 100 positions, for a savings of at least $5 million annually. The reduction would include 30 full-time editorial positions, some of them from the newspaper’s non-daily zone sections, which are being converted to a tabloid format. The Times has had two companywide buyouts in the last two years as well as additional voluntary separation programs in several departments. The Times, which is owned by Times Mirror Co., currently has about 5,000 full-time employees.