SLUMPING ECONOMY CITED FOR JOB FREEZE

NO POSITIONS AVAILABLE

 By TOM BUCKHAM

That icy wind blowing through The Buffalo News is for real. A company-wide hiring freeze went into effect in late December, placing even more pressure on already-understaffed departments.

Publisher and President Stanford Lipsey bolted the "in’ door after deciding the slowing conomy, coupled with rising expenses, spelled trouble ahead.

"The trend lines did not look very good," Editor Margaret Sullivan said.

At 202 full-time and part-time employees, the editorial staff is "up slightly" from the number Sullivan inherited from former editor Murray Light.

Although she must meet "a much higher threshhold" when seeking to replace a staffer who retires or quits, Sullivan does not believe editorial employment will slide drastically.

"I expect that in the newsroom there will be some exceptions to the freeze, where the case can be made that replacing somebody who leaves is really necessary," Sullivan said. "We still have to put out a paper."

Reporter Steve Watson was hired just before the freeze. The former News summer intern, who had been working for the Syracuse Newspapers in Oswego, was assigned to the Northtowns Bureau, replacing Mike Levy, who resigned in December.

And though she did not officially join the sports department until mid-January, sportswriter Melissa Geschwind had signed on before the no-hiring edict came down.

On the other hand, the local reporting position left open by Darryl Campagna's recent move to Albany will not be filled any time soon, Sullivan said.

Similarly, there is no plan to replace Nicole Peradotto, who left the Lifestyles staff last week after her maternity leave expired.

"We all know the newsroom functions with a lean staff. The freeze is going to make it a little leaner," Sullivan said.