JULY 10, 2024 — CNN TO AXE AT LEAST 1000 EMPLOYEES
From CEO Mark Thompson…
Dear all,
From the day I joined CNN nine months ago, I’ve talked about the need to take this precious inheritance and future-proof it for a very different media future. Back in January I set out some big themes:
A GLOBAL INTEGRATED MULTIMEDIA NEWS OPERATION
CNN has historically had three separate newsrooms and multiple planning operations. We’re moving today to a single global multimedia editorial operation to take on the challenges of our multi-platform, multi-product future.
One newsroom. We’re merging the newsgathering and digital news teams that currently sit in US domestic and international news to create unified operations under a new Global News organization. These new integrated teams will report out the news, produce it and publish it with a minimum of friction and duplication. Domestic and international news desks will retain their domestic and international specialisms for now, but will work more closely together, and come together to share resources for big breaking stories. Those who previously worked as a digital news writer or editor, or news desk producer or editor, working in separate structures and performing often duplicative tasks, will join unified teams in the US and our main international hubs.
To ensure consistent, multiplatform coverage around the clock, we will supercharge CNN’s “Follow the Sun” model with a new fully blended editorial structure across our hubs globally. The new operating model will create an integrated newsgathering, text and video operation and place ownership of it in the hands of editorial hubs around the world.
This will streamline workflows across newsgathering and place editorial direction closer to the story. It will better equip us to handle a wider array of platform needs around the clock and will mean we can flex news desk resources when the news cycle takes an unexpected turn. The enhanced Follow the Sun model will also create an expanded role for CNN’s Hong Kong hub in US overnight hours and make greater use of our operations in London and Los Angeles at additional hours across the day.
THE FUTURE OF TV AT CNN
Ted Turner founded CNN in 1980 as a TV news company, and TV will always be a central part of the CNN offering to America and the world. There are some stories and moments of drama which can only be fully appreciated and shared through live TV and streaming, as our presidential debate demonstrated so powerfully two weeks ago.
But as everyone knows, we’re living through a revolution in both news and television consumption from which our domestic and international TV channels are certainly not immune. To me, the right response to this revolution is not despair but adaptation and innovation.
In addition to some new posts and opportunities we have opened up at CNN, we’re also announcing some staff reductions across the company today. Wherever possible, we’ve closed open positions rather than target currently occupied roles. However, some of our colleagues will learn today that their jobs are being eliminated or are at risk. The number of colleagues potentially impacted is around a hundred out of a workforce of more than 3,500, but I don’t underestimate the impact this news is likely to have on everyone affected and want to thank them for everything they’ve done for this great news company over the years. Our priority throughout this process will be to treat them and every other CNN colleague with the respect, dignity, and the support you all deserve, including severance packages, career counseling and assistance with job placement.
As I said at the start, hundreds of you have been involved in developing the plans we’re outlining today. I hope that, wherever you work at CNN, you’ll feel that you can help ensure we implement them successfully,
Mark
NOVEMBER 30, 2022 — CNN CONFIRMS LAYOFFS IN PROGRESS
To my CNN colleagues,
Our people are the heart and soul of this organization. It is incredibly hard to say goodbye to any one member of the CNN team, much less many. I recently described this process as a gut punch, because I know that is how it feels for all of us.
Today we will notify a limited number of individuals, largely some of our paid contributors, as part of a recalibrated reporting strategy. Tomorrow, we will notify impacted employees, and tomorrow afternoon I will follow up with more details on these changes.
It will be a difficult time for everyone. If your job has been impacted, you will learn more through an in-person meeting or via Zoom, depending on your location. In those meetings, you will receive information specific to you about notice period or any severance that would apply, and your anticipated last day. I want to be clear that everyone who is bonus eligible will still receive their 2022 bonuses, which are determined by company performance.
I know these changes affect both our departing colleagues and those who remain, and we have resources designed to support you. I will include a link to those resources in my follow up email tomorrow.
Let's take care of each other this week.
Chris
OCTOBER 27, 2022 — HEADS UP! CNN REORGANIZATION BY THE END OF 2022.
According to top honcho Chris Licht…
"I have spent the last six months meeting so many of you and diving deep into every corner of the company to understand how you do the incredible work CNN produces every day, how we’re structured, and defining our top priorities. As many of you know, I have also spent much of that time doing formal business reviews with senior staff to identify areas where we should make changes, investments, and reductions to match our future priorities."
"We have also begun to reduce or eliminate areas that aren’t core to our mission. All these moves are designed to keep CNN essential across platforms to ensure that wherever and however people get their news, they must have CNN.”
“There is a lot more to be done. I am writing to you today to say that over the next several weeks, that work will accelerate. There is widespread concern over the global economic outlook, and we must factor that risk into our long-term planning. All this together will mean a noticeable change to this organization. That, by definition, is unsettling. These changes will not be easy because they will affect people, budgets, and projects."
"Our aim is to have most of these decisions made by the end of the year, so we can start 2023 feeling settled and prepared for the future. We will send updates as I have them, and I plan to hold town hall meetings in both November and December."
“When we emerge on the other side, CNN will be a stronger, more nimble organization, ready to weather whatever the global economy throws at us and to grow into the future."
OCTOBER 12, 2022 — 125 LAYOFFS IN TELEVISION DIVISION
The Television Group has eliminated 125 positions, including 82 employees in the scripted, unscripted, and animation divisions, plus leaving 43 open positions.
The 125 jobs represent a loss of 26 percent of the current and vacant positions at the company. The layoffs alone comprise 19 percent of the current WBTV workforce.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2022 — RESTRUCTURING AT CNN PUTS “WOKE” EMPLOYEES AT RISK
Cable News Network (CNN), owned by Warner Bors. Discovery, has undergone a change of senior management and is currently undergoing a restructuring to return CNN to its original non-partisan news mission from its partisan “woke” stance.
Several top-level hosts like Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter and veteran White House correspondent John Harwood have already been dismissed as the network moves from the far left to the center.
Production staff and support personnel are also at risk.
According to Chris Licht, who was appointed to the network by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, “CNN needs to regain the trust of the people. The outlet needed to focus on 'fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning 'group-think,' and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints.' “
AUGUST 22, 2022 — 4 DEPARTMENTS, SEVERAL VICE PRESIDENT, AND 70 LAYOFFS AT HBO MAX
The company is eliminating four major departments and laying off several vice presidents along with 70 HBO Max employees ahead of the company’s planned merger.
A company spokesman noted, “Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly, and it is up to us to continue to refine our model to chart a course for long-term success. Producing top-tier HBO/Max scripted content is crucial to WBD’s future. Part of this process involves an honest assessment of what we need moving forward and to best align our strengths and strategy with the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
AUGUST 3, 2022 — MAJOR JOB CUTS ON THE HORIZON
Warner Bros Discovery will merge HBO Max with Discovery+ ahead of planned job cuts and effect cost savings by eliminating redundancies. Other organizational changes are anticipated.
JUNE 14, 2022 — WARNER TO LAYOFF 1,000 AD SALES EMPLOYEES
It appears the company is planning to reduce the global ad sales team by 30% or 1,000 positions with U.S. team members being offered voluntary separations.
APRIL 25, 2022 — 350 EMPLOYEES TARGETED
“CNN Plus hired about 700 people for its launch. A person at the network said that 350 people will be affected by layoffs, though the company expects many of those employees to find new roles at the company, absorbed back into CNN, or into open jobs at Discovery-owned networks such as the HBO Max streaming service.”
APRIL 21, 2021 — CNN+ SHUT DOWN - HUNDREDS OF JOBS AT RICK
CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most significant developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched.
CNN+ customers "will receive prorated refunds of subscription fees," the company said.
The decision was made by new management after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month.
"In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings, and, for the company, a more sustainable business model to drive our future investments in great journalism and storytelling," Discovery's streaming boss J.B. Perrette said in a statement.
"We have very exciting opportunities ahead in the streaming space and CNN, one of the world's premier reputational assets, will play an important role there," Perrette added.
Hundreds of CNN+ staffers may lose their jobs. Licht said in an internal memo that "all CNN+ employees will continue to be paid and receive benefits for the next 90 days to explore opportunities at CNN, CNN Digital, and elsewhere in the Warner Bros. Discovery family." Staffers who aren't absorbed elsewhere in the company will receive a minimum of six months of severance, he added.
APRIL 20, 2022 — DISCORD AT CNN+ WITH MANY JOBS AT RISK
Troubled by the troubled launch and poor performance of the theCNN+ streaming service, job cust and reassignments appear to be in the works.
Hiring has been frozen at WarnerMedia for the past six weeks, and this has been felt at CNN.
This is also a major catastrophe for McKinsey & Company, one of the premier consultancies in the world, which projected great success for CNN+.
According to media sources, “All CNN'+’s external marketing spending has been suspended. Longtime CNN Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brad Ferrer was terminated.
APRIL 7, 2022 — EMPLOYMENT APOCALYPSE APPROACHES: IS THIS THE MERGER FROM HELL LEADING TO MASS LAYOFFS?
It appears that many WarnerMedia staffers are bracing for another mass layoff as Discovery completes its merger with Discovery after Discovery announced nine major senior-level departures including WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who was expected to leave the company, along with Warner Bros. chief Ann Sarnoff and HBO Max general manager Andy Forssell.
Nobody is doubting that a mass realignment of personnel will take place following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger under its new CEO, David Zaslav, who is said to be a hands-on micro-manager.
MAY 17, 2021 — AT&T ANNOUNCES MAJOR REALIGNMENT. EMPLOYEES BEWARE!
The company is proposing to combine WarnerMedia (HBO, CNN, Warner Bros. movie studio) with Discovery, the cable TV programmer that owns the Food Network and HGTV in a $43 billion dollar deal. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav will lead the new, combined company and employees will drop like flies when the duplicative functions are eliminated and synergies explored.
NOVEMBER 11, 2020 — IT’S HAPPENING NOW
From Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar…
Team-
This is a very painful email to write. And for a number of you reading this, I realize it will be even more painful to receive. For this, I am sorry.
In August, I first shared news about how we were going to meaningfully change the organizational structure of WarnerMedia (which entailed, among other items, simplifying how we organize our entertainment studios, elevating HBO Max, and consolidating our commercial activities into one organization). Many of you have patiently waited to hear how the reorganization would affect you personally, which is both uncomfortable and stressful. Reducing this period of uncertainty was one of the many reasons we pushed so hard to get through this work as quickly and as thoughtfully as possible, although it probably didn’t feel fast enough. I want to thank you all for continuing to contribute your best, despite this challenging period and the additional pressure of everything else that has been going on in the world.
I’ve previously shared how critical it is for us to evolve how we operate in the context of best serving customers. As I mentioned a few months ago, this entails simplifying how we are organized, partnering with the very best storytellers, and leaning into world-class products and technology as we share our stories directly with audiences across the globe. Our journey entails continuing to excel in our large, core businesses while at the same time investing in emerging businesses where we have the opportunity to meaningfully delight customers.
Today, we have arrived at a number of difficult decisions that are resulting in a smaller WarnerMedia team. This is a function of removing layers and the impact of consolidating previously separate organizations. Starting today in North America, we will be sharing which jobs are being eliminated and which roles have changed. We are continuing to review proposed changes in other countries across our non-US businesses, the timing of which will vary according to local regulatory requirements. Nothing about this is easy. But please know, these reductions are not in any way a reflection of the quality of the team members impacted, nor their work. It is simply a function of the changes I believe we must make in order to best serve customers. For those impacted, we will be offering severance and healthcare packages, in addition to professional services and team member assistance programs.
While I anticipate that organizationally, things will settle down materially in the weeks and months to come (we’ve worked hard to make this a process with a beginning, middle, and an end), I don’t want to suggest that our future is static. Rather, our future is about inventing ever better ways to move the world through story … which entails embracing change. I have every confidence in this world-class team to do just that.
To our colleagues who are leaving, I wish there were words to lessen today’s pain. Your contributions are a permanent part of this great company and today’s news does not change that. I am extremely thankful for all that you have done for this team and this mission. I hope that at some point you will look back on all of it with immense pride.
Until then, please stay well and safe.
Jason”
OCTOBER 12, 2020 — MASS LAYOFFS AHEAD
Credible reports are surfacing that Warner Media is restructuring and preparing to reduce their headcount by approximately 20% — impacting thousands of employees at Warner Brothers Studios, and Television outlets such as HBO, TBS, and TNT.
According to a company spokesperson, “Like the rest of the entertainment industry, we have not been immune to the significant impact of the pandemic. We are in the midst of that process and it will involve increased investments in priority areas and, unfortunately, reductions in others.”
AUGUST 17, 2020 — Original post…
New York, New York-based Warner Media, a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T, has announced that it will continue its restructuring activities which will impact
825 employees; 175 at HBO and 650 at Warner Brothers.
AT&T CFO John Stephens noted...
"The pandemic is forcing us to look at new ways to distribute our content, including outside cinemas, and other ways of doing business differently, which may delay the release of some film titles. A reorganization, including major layoffs, at WarnerMedia is designed to allow the AT&T entertainment unit to refocus on streaming as a key growth opportunity. One of the key drivers behind the WarnerMedia reorganization is to put 'real focus on the direct-to-consumer business in addition to continuing AT&T's promise to reduce costs and find efficiencies across its operations. I view it more as a refocusing of the company. It will allow for a more coherent content and international strategy as opposed to separate strategies across the various divisions.
"These transitions are tough, and there are a lot of good people who have been involved in this. This is a transformation of making things better, not because we needed to adjust anything, but rather because we are striving to get even better than the HBO Max launch was and to get even better than WarnerMedia has traditionally performed."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?
