While the firing of media positions these days is no longer considered shocking, considering the widespread layoffs and other moves throughout the media landscape, what is taking place at one magazine is still turning heads. Venerated sports outlet Sports Illustrated is seeing a raft of roster cuts like it is a franchise at the end of preseason. The difference is this is not playing out in the editorial ranks but in the upper reaches of the front office.
It was announced last night that Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn has been fired — this from the word by the ownership, The Arena Group. The acting interim CEO will be Manoj Bhargava, who is the founder of 5-Hour Energy and has a primary ownership interest in The Arena Group. Levinsohn’s firing follows the dismissals in recent days of a number of other top executives from the magazine.
Chief Operating Officer and Operations…
