Ed Rode
A day after CNN chief Chris Licht knowledgeable community employees that layoffs had been incoming, the hammer got here down.
Selection was the primary to report that a variety of notable correspondents and manufacturing employees got pink slips on Thursday, together with polarizing politics reporter and editor-at-large Chris Cillizza.
In addition to Cillizza, who is understood for his “simplistic” both-sides punditry, CNN additionally parted methods with correspondents Alison Kosik, Alexandra Subject, and Martin Savidge, in addition to Mary Anne Fox, the VP of northeast information.
Moreover, CNN will finish all stay programming on sister community HLN, ensuing within the cancellation of the long-running morning program Morning Categorical. The present’s anchor, Robin Meade, who has been with the community since 2001, and different HLN hosts will lose their jobs.
Moreover, the community has additionally parted methods with a number of paid on-air contributors, reportedly together withNew Yorker employees author Susan Glasser and Politico reporter Jonathan Martin.
In a staff-wide memo despatched on Thursday afternoon, Licht acknowledged the cancellation of Morning Categorical together with the opposite cuts throughout CNN.
“Starting December 6, CNN will not produce stay programming for HLN and as a substitute will simulcast CNN This Morning. HLN Crime programming will transfer below the WBD Networks led by Kathleen Finch and will likely be merged with ID,” Licht wrote. “I need to take a second to thank Robin Meade— she is just not solely an exceptionally common anchor, but additionally one of many longest-running morning hosts in historical past. I do know the HLN viewers will miss her and the opposite HLN expertise.”
Including that the community could be “shifting our strategy to paid contributors,” the CNN boss famous that the channel’s “programming groups will see some reductions in present staffs and, in some circumstances, the mixture of groups for our dayside and weekend lineups.”
Licht additionally mentioned that different divisions would take care of “restructuring” whereas letting remaining employees know that he would maintain a city corridor subsequent week to debate all the latest modifications.
“To our departing colleagues, I need to specific my gratitude on your devoted and tireless service and on your many contributions to CNN,” he acknowledged. “To all workers, I need to underscore the significance of taking the time it is advisable finest be capable of transfer ahead.”
The brand new CNN cost-cutting measures come as mother or father firm Warner Bros. Discovery seems to be to clear billions of dollars from its funds whereas slashing at the least a thousand jobs.