Express News fires 20 staffers amid financial struggles

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 13 years ago |  JP Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Express News that claims to have eye on all news has become news itself, firing about 20 odd staffers from the Lahore office.

Among those sacked are at least five non-linear editors (NLEs), a few control room operators (CROs) and about 14 people from the programming side.

Insiders say most of those laid off had been accommodated from the Express Group’s English language channel Express 24/7 that was abruptly shut down late last year.

“These staffers became redundant after some of the programs they were handling at Express News were scrapped,” a source said, citing the example of Dr Shahid Masood’s Shahid Nama.

The Express Group that also publishes The Express Tribune and the Urdu language Daily Express, is reportedly facing financial difficulties with staff salaries not being paid on time.

At the Tribune, for example, salaries for the months of April and May were paid late while staff still awaits the June pay.