NYT’s TV reporter Carter is taking the buyout

Bill Carter, the New York Times‘ television reporter, is taking the paper’s buyout offer, reports Michael Calderone of The Huffington Post.

Calderone writes, “Carter told The Huffington Post that leaving the paper was a ‘really wrenching and agonizing decision.’

“The Times is seeking 100 employees to take buyouts by 5 p.m. on Monday, with layoffs possible if that number isn’t reached. The buyout package is particularly attractive for veteran staffers, with non-management employees receiving a week’s salary for every year worked at the paper. Those who have worked there for at least 20 years are also eligible to receive an additional 35 percent of the total severance.

“‘I went through a long process, but I couldn’t square passing up what amounts to the best kind of severance at a newspaper job,’ Carter said.

“Carter joined The Times as media reporter in 1989, after spending fourteen years as television critic for the Baltimore Sun.

“Beyond his Times coverage, Carter is perhaps best known for his 1994 book, The Late Shift. The bestseller, which depicted the late-night battle between David Letterman and Jay Leno, was the basis for an HBO film of the same name. Carter wrote The War for Late Night in 2011 following the Leno-Conan O’Brien debacle at NBC.

“Carter told HuffPost that he has a contract for another book on late-night television and is looking for a new job.”

Read more here.