RELATED POST: Why Hachette Dropping Out of the MPA is Just the Tip of the Iceberg [0]

Hachette Filipacchi has dropped its membership in the Magazine Publishers of America.

"These are extraordinary economic times," a spokesperson for the publisher of Elle told Adage.com [1]. "This is one of a number of hard decisions that we are making until conditions change."

Jack Kliger [right], Hachette's longtime chief executive until resigning from his post last year, served as the MPA chairman  from 2005 to 2007. Kliger's tenure was marked by fire-and-brimstone speeches at MPA events.

During his last speech as chairman, Kliger criticized non-member publishers for benefitting from a "free ride."

A representative from the MPA didn't return a request for comment.

But the association is not immune to cuts within its own organization. In September, the MPA made laid off seven staffers [1], leaving 36 employees. At the time, MPA spokesperson Howard Polskin [1] said the layoffs “reflect what’s going on in the economy. We have to position ourselves accordingly.”