CNN Will Cut 6% of Current Staff in Digital Pivot; New Products, TV Lineup in Works

by

CNN is set to reduce its staff by 6%, a move led by CEO Mark Thompson in an ongoing mission to strengthen Warner Bros. Discovery’s expertise in digital and broadband services, as viewership on their traditional cable network declines.

Many of his plans, telegraphed in a series of memos over recent months, have been expected.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d rephrase it as: “My goal here is clear: I want to steer CNN towards the streaming services and content that our viewers are moving towards. By making this adjustment, I believe we can safeguard CNN’s position as a global leader in news broadcasting. In these challenging times, quality, impartial, and reliable news sources are more essential than ever. This transition, though tough and at times uncomfortable, is the only path to ensuring we can continue delivering the news you trust.

According to Thompson, CNN plans to launch a new streaming service, offering news programming that can be accessed on any preferred device. This demand has already been proven, not only in America but globally as well. This service will differ from what’s currently available on the parent company’s Max streaming platform. Interestingly, NBCUniversal’s CNBC has also announced plans for a similar standalone service called CNBC+.

According to Thompson, CNN will continue to hire staff, with the number of new positions expected to outweigh any job losses. The total workforce size won’t decrease significantly. He mentioned in his memo that they aim to recruit around 100 new employees over the next few months to support their new strategies. In the near future, CNN plans to introduce its first lifestyle-focused digital product and develop innovative premium digital advertising experiences to boost their long-term and scalable ad revenue.

Regardless, this news likely brings little solace to the staff members impacted by Thursday’s announcement. It appears that CNN might relocate many of its television production roles to Atlanta, a city where wages tend to be lower and where the company already maintains established facilities.

It’s anticipated that CNN will unveil adjustments to their TV programming schedule sometime on Thursday. For several days now, discussions and arrangements regarding shifting anchors have been in progress. Wolf Blitzer is rumored to transition to a mid-morning timeslot, while there are ongoing talks about a possible new position for morning anchor Kasie Hunt, as per sources familiar with the situation.

Read More

2025-01-23 16:50