Is this what it takes to sate an angry mob of permalancers? JoAnne Griffith, the HR exec who delivered to the cable network's freelancers the news before the holidays that their benefits were being cut, is out. MTV, which was forced to reverse the cuts after a walkout by non-salaried workers, came out with the usual boilerplate on Griffith's departure. (Really, why do they even bother?) "She's been a phenomenal leader and great champion for MTV Networks,""This is a large, complex company, and with JoAnne's great human touch and innovative approach to HR, we continue to set a high bar and strive for the best for you," an internal email sent this morning to MTV employees reads. Irreplaceable? No. Replacement Catherine Houser, "has the people skills, innovative ideas, and passion for our company and its employees that we need in an HR leader." Phew. Email and official release after the jump.

Viacom finally got it together enough yesterday to address the fact that they'd seriously mishandled the announcement of major cuts to freelancer benefits."We understand there are many valid questions, concerns and bad feelings around the new policies for freelance, in-house and project-based temporary employees and the way they were communicated," reads a memo issued late yesterday from executive vice president of human resources, JoAnne Griffith. "We are listening closely to the response and moving to quickly address the questions and concerns by making some immediate changes, based on your feedback." Was that really so hard? Where have you been all week, JoAnne?