Jennifer Lopez’s NuvoTV appears to be stealthily wielding the ax at the soon-to-be-acquired music network Fuse.
Around 100 of Fuse’s 200-person staff have been given pink slips in a cost-cutting drive ahead of the deal closing, sources told The Post.
MSG, which still owns the music channel, made the cuts starting May 1 — just weeks after it agreed to sell Fuse to a Lopez-led group.
The cuts include shutting down Fuse News, said one source familiar with the situation. Around 75 of the recently jettisoned staffers aren’t being picked up by NuvoTV, a source told The Post.
MSG had brought in some heavyweight talent to work at Fuse News when it launched in January, including British “it” girl Alexa Chung and serious news producer Rick Kaplan.
In addition to the Fuse News staff, Fuse is losing its No. 2 ad sales executive, Michael Roche.
Ironically, Roche fled to rival music network Revolt, run by hip-hop artist Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, an ex-boyfriend of Lopez. Combs had also tried to buy Fuse, but was beat out by $200 million by the 44-year-old Lopez.
SiTV Media, the parent company of NuvoTV, is expected to close on its acquisition of Fuse in July or August. It paid $226 million for an 85 percent stake in the channel.
MSG is retaining a 15 percent interest in Fuse, which is seen in 73 million households. NuvoTV is in 32 million homes.
Songbird Lopez, a judge on “American Idol,” has produced hits such as “Let’s Get Loud,” “On the Floor” and “Jenny from the Block.” She will serve as the channel’s chief creative officer and is a shareholder in the company.
A spokeswoman for NuvoTV referred all calls to MSG, which declined to comment.