Thursday, January 23, 2025

CNN Confirms: 200 To Be Fired, New Digital Push



UPDATE 1:30 PM:   CNN has confirmed it is laying off roughly 200 employees, or about 6% of its workforce, part of a plan Chief Executive Mark Thompson says will shift the cable TV brand’s emphasis toward digital growth and prepare it to launch a streaming service. 

The changes at CNNs are part of the organization’s continuing response “to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news,” Thompson wrote in a memo to staff Thursday.

The business environment for cable television has been on a downward path for years, thanks to cord-cutting and a growing distrust of legacy media. CNN averaged 578,000 prime-time viewers in the three months through December, down by 74% from its peak in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to Nielsen data, placing it firmly in third place among the major cable news networks.

Earlier Story...


Warner Bros. Discovery’s CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience, according to CNBC citing people familiar with the matter.

The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes.

Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people.

For the most part, the job cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names, who are under contract, said the people. CNN has about 3,500 employees worldwide.

During a town hall meeting earlier this month, CNN CEO Mark Thompson said the media company has received an investment of “more than $70 million” from Warner Bros. Discovery to help fund the company’s digital operations. Part of that investment will go toward hiring employees in areas where CNN sees potential growth avenues, such as data scientists and product development.

In October, CNN launched a digital paywall, charging heavier users of the site $3.99 per month.

NBC News is also planning cuts later this week, according to people familiar with the matter. While the exact number couldn’t be determined, the job losses will be well under 50, two of the people said.

Both news organizations waited until after the U.S. presidential inauguration to make the cuts. The news media landscape is in transition as fewer people watch linear TV and more consume their news on streaming services and through social media.

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