CNN Axes Some Digital Projects

CNN is preparing to lay off up to 50 employees mostly from its digital projects, after another ratings debacle for 2017 and a subsequent failure to reach expected ad revenue targets.

Vanity Fair, the first media outlet to report Monday on possible layoffs at the cable news network and digital properties, noted that as many as 50 jobs could be affected, but the exact number remained in flux, according to people familiar with the matter. Parent Time Warner was targeting savings on the digital side, the report said.

CNN would not confirm the number of jobs that would be affected but acknowledged making restructuring moves.

"We've been transparent about our strategy,"  Matt Dornic, vice president of communications for CNN Worldwide, said. "In order to innovate, grow and experiment, we've added more than 200 jobs in the past 18 months. Not every new project has paid off so we will stop some activities in order to reallocate those resources and enable future experimentation."

The network has been expanding its digital offerings including most recently the eight-part digital video series American Woman, hosted by anchor Brooke Baldwin, as well delivering more news briefings for voice-activated devices including Apple TV, Amazon Echo and Google Home.

USAToday reports the Atlanta-headquartered Turner broadcasting network has about 4,000 employees in 38 bureaus globally and is part of Time Warner, which AT&T bid $85.4 billion to acquire in  October 2016. The Justice Department sued to block the merger and a federal court will hear AT&T's case in March .