Random Cuts 60 Prima Jobs

As part of the integration of Prima Communications into its own operations, Random House will eliminate approximately 60 of Prima’s 140 positions over the course of the next six months. Random, which announced it had reached an agreement to buy Prima in March (News, Apr. 2), completed the deal in April.

According to Random spokesperson Stuart Applebaum, Prima’s former headquarters in Roseville, Calif., will become an editorial office; as a result, the corporate staff and some sales personnel will be let go. Among those leaving the company are Prima’s two top executives, founder and president Ben Dominitz and executive v-p and COO Matt Carleson. Prima’s trade sales force, which sold all of the company’s titles into the traditional book market, will be disbanded as of August 31 and the Random House trade group will assume sales responsibility for the Prima titles. Prima’s game sales team, which sold game and video titles to game-specific customers, will remain intact. Also remaining intact are Prima’s game and lifestyle editorial operations that are now part of Random’s information group and Crown Publishing Group, respectively.

Random is also looking for a buyer for Prima Tech, Prima’s computer book imprint based in Indianapolis. Although Applebaum called Prima Tech “an excellent asset,” he said, “Random House doesn’t want to be in the computer book business.” If no buyer is found, Random plans to close the Indianapolis office, which has about 20 employees, by August 31.