Well-respected Federal Computer Week Editor in Chief Chris Dorobek announced his resignation today, sources tell FishbowlDC, a move that once source dubs "the latest and most serious blow to an editorial staff that has been hemorrhaging talent ever since the magazine was taken over by California-based 1105 Government Information Group in 2007." (Read Dorobek's FishbowlDC interview here.) Dorobek now heads to WFED, where he will be one of the anchors for their new afternoon drive-time show.

1105 purchased the respected trade pub in 2006 (and then later purchased Government Computer News, Washington Technology, FOSE, Defense Systems, Government Leader from The Washington Post Co.). This was followed by a consolidation of all the pubs here in Washington.

"Dorobek's departure confirms the worst fears among employees when the consolidation took place, namely that 1105 intended to gut the newsroom and replace the quality content these magazines had put out for over 20 years and reduce them to nothing more than empty advertising shells," said one former employee.

More after the jump...

Recently, Managing Editor Florence Olsen also left and has since joined BNA, and last month saw the axing of several copy editors and reporters.

Senior Editor John Monroe has been tapped as the acting Editor in Chief but he's preparing to enter a theological seminary comes January. This means that, come January, all of the editorial side's top management will be gone.

"Bottom line is that this is a sad day for the trade press and for the federal IT industry, which now will have severely decreased coverage."

>UPDATE: One reader writes in:

Except on the radio and on the web on federalnewsradio.com ... WFED made history as the first all-news Internet-only radio station in 2000 as Federal News Radio. It made history again in 2004 becoming the first internet radio station to migrate to broadcast on 1050 AM as WFED. Now it makes history again in mid-September when it moves up to the old powerhouse home of WTOP, 1500 AM. And the number of federal journalists is growing.