CNN boss Mark Thompson confirms 200 layoffs amid digital push

CNN boss Mark Thompson revealed sweeping changes to the network on Thursday, including 200 layoffs in traditional TV production jobs as the company invests in new digital roles, according to a report.

After downsizing its cable television business, CNN will create about 200 new digital positions, Thomson said in an interview Thursday. The network will also launch a new digital subscription product and change its television lineup.

“This is a moment where digital history feels like an existential question,” Thompson told the New York Times. “If we don’t follow the audience of new platforms with real conviction and at scale, our future prospects will not be good. »

The job cuts come as Warner Bros.-owned CNN. Discovery, is looking to revamp its linear television lineup and develop digital subscription products, CNBC reported Wednesday, adding that it would help CNN reduce its production costs and consolidate its teams.

Some shows produced in New York or Washington could move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, the report said.

Comcast-owned NBC News is also planning job cuts later this week, according to the report. Although there is no exact number, the layoffs will be well below 50.

Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced earlier this month that it would lay off about 4% of its workforce, or fewer than 100 employees, in a bid to cut costs, as the famous newspaper is struggling with mounting losses.

In November, The Associated Press announced it would cut about 8% of its workforce to modernize its operations and products.

Just days ago, Thompson warned top on-air talent, including Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper, “not to express their own outrage” at President Trump’s inauguration, according to the Bulletin. Status information.

During a virtual editorial meeting Sunday, Thompson advised staffers to avoid “pre-judging” the president.

The network is also replacing frequent Trump antagonist Jim Acosta’s 10 a.m. show with “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown.” CNN is in talks with Acosta for another role, according to the Times.

Blitzer recently signed a new multi-year deal with CNN, while Brown currently leads CNN’s 11 o’clock weekday programming.

The decision to move Blitzer, who has recently been mocked on social media for his outdated TV setup, to morning allows CNN to keep one of its most respected anchors on the air while gradually phasing him out. evening programming.

Thompson said the network will also launch a new morning show hosted by Audie Cornish, who currently hosts “The Assignment,” a weekly CNN podcast.

“Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that CNN is — as it has been throughout its history — an indispensable means by which millions of people get their information,” Thompson told the Times.

The chief executive said the new digital subscription product would revolve around lifestyle content, such as stories about food and fitness, but did not give further details.

When it comes to new digital jobs, CNN is looking to hire roughly the same number of employees laid off in the digital sector. The network aims to hire about 100 digital collaborators in the first half of the year, Thompson said.