Seattle Weekly editorial staffers found themselves thrown into Survivor mode last week.

Just two days after a January 27 New York Times story reported that Seattle Weekly's parent company, Village Voice Media (VVM), was experiencing "financial difficulties, especially with its Seattle Weekly," editorial staffers at the Seattle paper were told that layoffs were on the way. Casting the staff into a sort of employee version of TV's Survivor, management didn't say which staffers would be let go, but at least two folks will have to leave in the next couple of months. (Let the brownnosing begin.)

The news of pending editorial layoffs came despite the fact that VVM CEO David Schneiderman and Weekly publisher Terry Coe spent the week publicly insisting the New York Times story was wrong, and the Seattle Weekly was doing fine.

The Seattle Weekly quickly repeated its rosy claim in a story by Weekly reporter Philip Dawdy. Dawdy obviously wrote his story before management told him the bad news--i.e., thanks to budgeting, his head (along with those of his editorial colleagues) was now technically on the chopping block. Dawdy would not comment on the discrepancy between the upbeat assessment he had penned for his editors and the next day's gloomy announcement.

Layoffs at Seattle Weekly certainly don't jibe with VVM's public statements that all is well at the paper.

Weekly publisher Terry Coe did not return our call. Meanwhile, the Weekly laid off its staff photographer on January 31. JOSH FEIT

Stop Radio Consolidation

The Northwest chapter of the Recording Academy is making a major effort to support proposed federal legislation designed to limit further consolidation in the radio industry. The chapter met recently with both Oregon senators urging them to support a bill written by ultraliberal Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) that would increase government oversight of radio mergers and bar deals in which recording companies pay radio station promoters for airplay.

The music industry group hopes to meet with Washington Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray next, according to Dave Meinert, chair of the chapter's advocacy committee. In addition, the chapter's 700 members are launching a letter-writing campaign directed at legislators and the Federal Communications Commission (which sets ownership limits), and Meinert urges the public to join in the effort. Those wishing to do so can reach the FCC at www.fcc.gov/ownership. SANDEEP KAUSHIK