CITY DESK

BOISE WEEKLY PUBLISHER CALLS FOR SALARY CUTS

On Friday, Dec 5, Boise Weekly publisher Sally Freeman asked the staff at Idaho's only alternative weekly newspaper to take a 10 percent cut in pay through the end of February, optimistic that revenue would rebound by spring. Freeman told the staff the cuts were necessary to make up for a shortfall in November advertising revenue and a bleak outlook for the coming months.

After the quick announcement at BW's regular Friday staff meeting, Freeman cried briefly and offered to meet with each employee individually. When Freeman bought the paper with thenhusband Bingo Barnes in August 2001, she faced an even more daunting …