POPS MUSICIANS CUT PAY

SAN DIEGO —  Faced with smaller audiences than projected for the Summer Pops series at Mission Bay, the musicians of the San Diego Symphony are cutting their weekly pay by $200 to avoid going into debt.

Thursday’s paycheck reflected a $200 drop in base weekly salary, from $525 to $325, said the musicians’ manager, Lee Ellen Hveem.

Earlier this week Hveem told The Times that no immediate pay cut was expected. The nine-week series of concerts at Hospitality Point are being presented by the symphony musicians under the banner of the San Diego Philharmonic. Hveem said the pay cut will reduce expenses in the $1.2-million budget by about $150,000.