CBS Slashes Its Corporate Staff With 68 Layoffs

CBS laid off 68 more employees Friday, this time in the personnel and medical departments at its corporate headquarters here. The move comes as part of a continuing program to cut costs and streamline the company because of lean economic times in broadcasting.

The layoffs will reduce the number of workers in the CBS corporate personnel and medical offices here from 120 to 52, a spokeswoman said. She would not say whether the cuts are part of the 400 layoffs that had been expected by the end of the year.

On Thursday, 15 CBS Publishing Group staff members, including group President Peter A. Derow, were dismissed in the latest management shake-up at CBS since Laurence A. Tisch became its acting chief executive on Sept. 10

However, Derow, whose departure had been rumored to be imminent, will continue working with CBS as a consultant on publishing.

Since July, 1985, approximately 1,500 positions throughout CBS have been eliminated--600 through early retirements and the remainder through layoffs or unfilled vacancies. The company now employs about 16,000 persons worldwide, according to a spokeswoman.