Q: Is Oprah Winfrey going to take all her staff with her to her new channel, OWN, or will they be laid off?
—Rita Gotel, Stone Mountain
A: Harpo Studios Inc. began laying off "an unspecific number of workers" on May 25, Crain's Chicago Business reported last week. A spokeswoman told the publication that the number could be a third of Harpo's nearly 400 full- and part-time employees. Illinois law requires companies to give 60 days' notice of mass layoffs, which are defined as 25 or more full-time employees, if they constitute one third or more of its full-time staff, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Rosie O'Donnell plans to begin taping a national syndicated talk show in the former "Oprah" studio this fall.
Q: Has a cell phone lot been established at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and if so, are there signs to indicate where it is?
—Donna Mittenthal, Atlanta
A: Airport officials continue to consider the possibility of a cell phone lot, but no decisions have been made, spokesman John Kennedy told Q&A on the News. In the interim, the best alternative for motorists picking up passengers is to use the hourly parking lots (north and south), which are $2 per hour for the first two hours, with the first 20 minutes free, he wrote in an e-mail. Many airport have created cell phone lots, where people waiting to pick up arriving passengers may park free of charge.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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