Desperate times call for desperate measures

Never mind what I had said the other day about us all needing to pitch in to make sure Vibe can afford to print its March issue.

It was announced today that Vibe has found a way to make sure it's got enough money to continue publishing until its owners can pawn it off on some other rube, not by convincing more people to buy it, or by convincing more companies to advertise in it, but by making the content shittier, charging even more for it, and paying the people who come up with it way less.

No, really:

Vibe magazine is cutting its paid circulation 25%, reducing its frequency to 10 issues a year from 12, and merging its print and digital editorial operations, all in the magazine industry's latest response to the twin attacks by recession and new media.

But Vibe is also departing from the standard playbook by introducing a twice-a-year newsstand-only celebrity tabloid. It plans to increase the subscription price for its flagship. And it is avoiding layoffs by adopting a four-day workweek accompanied by 10% to 15% pay cuts for its employees.

Yikes!

I'm at a loss for how any of these measures will make Vibe any better than it already is, which apparently isn't good enough. But obviously this is a desperate, last ditch attempt to keep Vibe from completely going out of business. I wouldn't be surprised if it still does, eventually. Or who knows? Maybe that bi-annual celebrity tabloid issue will go over really well and end up saving the day.

I'm hardly in any position to gloat. The BGM called just now and asked me if I could close tonight, and rather than tell them to take their closing shift and shove in their collective vagina, like I would, say, a year ago, I told them I'd be there by 5. So you're gonna have to come up with your own gay jokes during the Real World tonight.

I know, two weeks in a row. This shit's not funny anymore.

Checkit: Vibe Cuts Circulation, Frequency, Salaries, Work Days [Gawker]