CNN boss Mark Thompson on Thursday revealed sweeping changes to the network, including 200 layoffs in traditional TV production jobs as the company invests in new digital roles, according to a report.
After slashing staffers at its cable-TV operation, CNN will be adding about 200 new digital positions, Thomson said in an interview on Thursday. The network will also be releasing a new digital subscription product and moving around its television lineup.
“This is a moment where the digital story feels like an existential question,” Thompson told the New York Times. “If we do not follow the audiences to the new platforms with real conviction and scale, our future prospects will not be good.”
The job cuts come as CNN, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, looks to rearrange its linear TV lineup and build out digital subscription products, CNBC reported on Wednesday, adding that it will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams.
Some shows produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, the report said.
NBC News, owned by Comcast, is also planning job cuts later this week, according to the report. While there is no exact number, the layoffs will be well under 50.
Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said earlier this month it would lay off about 4% of its workforce or less than 100 employees in a bid to cut costs, as the storied newspaper grapples with growing losses.
In November, the Associated Press said it would cut about 8% of its workforce as it looks to modernize its operations and products.
Just days ago, Thompson warned top on-air talent including Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper “against expressing any outrage of their own” during President Trump’s inauguration, according to the Status newsletter.
During a virtual editorial meeting on 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 about another role, according to the Times.
Blitzer recently signed a new multi-year deal with CNN, while Brown currently leads CNN’s 11 a.m. programming during the week.
The decision to shift Blitzer, who was recently mocked on social media for his outdated television setup, to mornings allows CNN to keep one of its most respected anchors on air while also gradually transitioning him out of the evening lineup.
Thompson said the network will also be launching a new morning show anchored by Audie Cornish, who currently hosts “The Assignment,” a weekly CNN podcast.
“In the end, this is about CNN being — as it has been in its history — an indispensable way in which many, many millions of people get their news,” Thompson told the Times.
The chief executive said the new digital subscription product would revolve around lifestyle content, like food and fitness stories, but did not give further details.
As far as the new digital jobs go, CNN is looking to hire about the same number of laid-off employees on the digital side. The network is aiming to hire about 100 digital staffers in the first half of the year, Thompson said.
The push to digital will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams.
Some shows produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, the Status newsletter previously reported.
