CNN on Thursday will reportedly lay off “hundreds” of employees as the network seeks to cut production costs and shift its focus from declining viewership in cable news. CNBC, citing sources “familiar with the matter,” reported Wednesday night that CNN will “consolidate teams” and move production of some shows from New York and Washington to Atlanta “where production can be done more cheaply.”
CNN has not responded to requests for comment on the CNBC report, which also revealed that NBC News also intends to make job cuts, but on a far smaller scale, with the number of impacted employees expected to be “well under 50.” NBC has yet to comment on the report.
According to the report, CNN’s most famous faces—including Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett and Wolf Blitzer—will not be affected by the layoffs, which will likely impact production crews, especially those in New York City and Washington, where the majority of the network’s prime time shows are produced.
Despite the election year—which typically results in higher-than-average ratings—CNN had its worst performance among viewers 25-54 last year, the key demographic valued by advertisers.
The network’s ratings have led to reports of talent shuffles, including a possible move of CNN icon Wolf Blitzer to mornings, where the network has struggled. The New York Post reported that Blitzer could be paired with Pamela Brown as part of yet another reimagined morning show.
The CNN report comes as media organizations struggle to respond to changing consumer habits and pressures to cut costs. Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, said earlier this month that facing rising losses, the newspaper will cut about 4 percent of its workforce, while the Associated Press announced plans to modernize and cut eight percent of its workforce.
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