Report: CNN Morale 'Really Grim'

CNN staffers are grappling with low morale as parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announces another corporate restructuring, splitting its studios and streaming business from its cable networks, including CNN, into a new entity tentatively called Global Networks. 

The split, set to finalize next year, will be led by WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, with Global Networks absorbing most of WBD’s significant debt.

“The mood remains really grim,” a CNN staffer told Fox News Digital. 

Gunnar Wiedenfels

“People are uncertain.” Staff hope CNN will be sold to a buyer willing to invest, as Wiedenfels indicated no limits on potential sales. However, his focus on “efficiency” signals more budget cuts, especially with CNN’s new streaming service launching this fall. “It’s hard to imagine it doesn’t get worse,” the staffer added, noting the company’s shrinking revenue despite its cash-flow potential.

CNN has faced repeated upheaval, from Time Warner in the 1990s, to AOL, AT&T, and the 2022 WBD spinoff under CEO David Zaslav. In 2023, Zaslav appointed Mark Thompson, former BBC and New York Times executive, as CNN’s CEO to steer its digital transformation. Yet, staff frustration targets Zaslav, with one saying, “Zaslav killed this place,” citing the debt burden and mismanagement.

Industry critics like Puck’s Dylan Byers predict a bleak future for CNN, comparing it to the defunct HLN. A third staffer, while acknowledging cable’s systemic issues, remains pragmatic: “I’m trying to figure out what’s next when it collapses, but it’s just a job, right?” If CNN falters, they anticipate finding new opportunities, though with uncertain financial prospects.