Whither the Obies?

As a Commenter has pointed out regarding the evolving Voice story...the fate of the OBIE awards is possibly in question, since they have usually been managed by the theatre editor.

Just another example of how the value of the Voice has been its active contribution to the NYC theatre culture, not just as a blurbfest of pr-fed information.

A couple of informative nuggets from the coverage today:

Reached by telephone yesterday, Mr. Blum [editor-designate David Blum] said the decisions to lay off the eight employees, including the theater editor Jorge Morales and the dance editor Elizabeth Zimmer, “were made by Village Voice Media before I was hired.” (Times)

Note: Blum's hiring was announced on August 14.

Keith Kelly in the Post has a more slanted slant:

It's been a little less than a year since the Phoenix-based New Times weeklies swooped down on Village Voice Media, keeping the legendary name but leaving little else intact as they try to revamp the paper.

Keeping the fashionable edgy label, but "mainstreaming" the inside. Where have we seen that before?