Layoffs at Dr. Phil’s Merit Street Media in North Texas [Video]

FORT WORTH, Texas — Dr. Phil’s North Texas-based TV network Merit Street Media has laid off nearly 40 staff members less than a year after launching, a spokesperson confirmed.

A Merit Street Media spokesperson said 38 staff members were laid off Friday. The Dallas Business Journal (DBJ) reported the company has 100 employees, and the “Morning on Merit Street” and  “The News on Merit Street” programs were most impacted by the layoffs.

“Following the brief summer hiatus of ‘Dr. Phil Primetime,’ Merit Street implemented ongoing consolidations of departments and roles in efforts to achieve efficiencies at the highest level, which unfortunately resulted in some layoffs,” a Merit Street spokesperson said in a statement. “We are confidently getting better at what we do. Merit will continue striving to create more synergy between all divisions including staff expanding their roles within our live news, original …