REPORT: CNN Employees Nervous As More Cuts Are Coming At The Network

 

CNN has already made a number of big staffing changes over the last six months.

Media reporter Brian Stelter was let go, then John Harwood left the network. Don Lemon was taken out of primetime and moved to a morning show. And apparently, there are more changes and cuts coming.

This has got the staff on edge.

CNBC reports: 

CNN chief Chris Licht has big ideas, but employees are nervous, and more job cuts are coming

CNN CEO Chris Licht started conducting a business review of the news network when he agreed to take the job in April.

That evaluation wrapped up last week, according to people familiar with the matter, and CNN employees are about to find out Licht’s conclusions.

Licht faces many challenges at CNN. Like all cable news networks, the business is shrinking. CNN makes money off advertising and pay-TV subscriber fees. But as millions of Americans cancel traditional pay TV each year in favor of streaming services, CNN almost certainly can’t raise subscription rates at a fast enough clip to make up for declining viewer numbers…

Licht’s review is part of a larger effort spearheaded by Zaslav, who has told division heads throughout the company to rethink their units and find ways to cut costs. More than 1,000 people will be laid off by Warner Bros. Discovery
before the end of the year, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private and ongoing. Warner Bros. Discovery has about 40,000 employees.

Licht doesn’t have a specific order to cut a certain amount of jobs or save a specific percentage of spending. But he’s planning to cut parts of CNN that he have become bloated over time, said the people. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.

Who will be the next to go?

Jim Acosta is probably working on his resume right now.