Infostrada Hayters, the London-based sports news agency, has cut six staff – a third of its total workforce.
Press Gazette understands the six are three London-based reporters, two correspondents in the North East and North West, and the desk manager.
Staff were told on Friday 13 March. The company now has no reporters outside the capital.
Hayters was founded in 1954 by the late Reg Hayter, and former reporters include Steve Rider, Richard Keys and The Daily Telegraph’s Henry Winter.
In 2002, the company merged with the Teamwork agency, and in 2006, it became part of Infostrada, the Dutch sports statistics provider.
Then, Hayters’ joint chief executive Gerry Cox, a former chairman of the Football Writers’ Association, said the takeover would “take our expertise on to a global platform”.
A newswire service, seen as a rival to the Press Association, was launched.
According to its website, Infostrada Hayters now offers news, match reports, features, previews, statistics and ghost-written columns.
Press Gazette understands that, following a board meeting last week, Cox and fellow chief executive Nick Callow were told to cut costs in order to reduce monthly losses.
Hayters made a £197,799 operating loss in 2007, down from £304,544 in 2006, according to the most recent set of accounts available at Companies House.
Infostrada Hayters did not respond when contacted by Press Gazette.
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