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CNN Faces Major Layoffs as Mark Thompson Plans Cost-Cutting Shake-Up Amid Ratings Slump


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Following a sharp ratings dip during last week’s Election Night coverage, CNN is bracing for sweeping layoffs under new CEO Mark Thompson, who is reportedly targeting high-salaried on-air talent and redundant positions across the organization. According to Puck News, Thompson’s planned layoffs are expected to impact hundreds of CNN employees as he restructures the network’s workforce, focusing on a shift toward a “digital-first” model.

 

CNN has struggled to keep pace with competitors in the cable news arena. While Fox News captured an impressive 10.3 million viewers in prime time on Election Night and MSNBC, anchored by Rachel Maddow, pulled in 6 million viewers, CNN lagged with 5.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. This marked a significant loss for CNN, which historically dominated election coverage in years past.

 

As part of the reorganization, Thompson may cut back on the network’s highly compensated anchors, such as Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, and Kaitlan Collins. Cooper, who hosted the recent Election Night broadcast, is reported to have a contract valued as high as $20 million annually. Burnett’s salary is estimated at $6 million, while Collins earns a reported $3 million. Thompson’s push for budget restructuring could see significant reductions in these salaries as he works to align the network’s finances with a shifting viewership and digital landscape.

 

Further signs of the coming change were evident earlier this week when anchor Chris Wallace announced his departure from CNN, ending a three-year run marked by low ratings and corporate turnover. Wallace, reportedly earning $8.5 million annually, is one of several high-profile figures Thompson has considered asking to accept pay cuts. Additional stars, including Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer, may also face compensation adjustments.

 

Thompson, previously the CEO of The New York Times and the BBC, is focusing on adapting CNN’s content production for a more digitally-focused audience. According to sources, the layoffs will target television production teams whose roles are deemed less critical under the new digital-first approach. Reporters and correspondents are expected to take on some of the responsibilities currently handled by producers and production assistants, streamlining workflows and reducing the network’s reliance on traditional television support staff. Additionally, CNN will eliminate redundant roles and, in some cases, reduce or fully dissolve certain divisions.

 

The upcoming changes follow an earlier round of cuts in which CNN laid off approximately 100 employees, or about 3% of its workforce. For many at CNN, these layoffs only add to the anxiety within a work environment described by Puck as “high stress and high anxiety.”

 

The reshuffling at CNN underscores a larger industry trend as media companies face the pressures of declining viewership, changing consumer habits, and the need for cost-effective digital strategies. In a competitive field where audiences have increasingly diverse options for news and information, Thompson’s restructuring efforts aim to give CNN a fighting chance to recover and remain relevant in the evolving landscape of news media.

 

Based on a report by NYP 2024-11-14

 

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Maybe they could get Musk in to find some savings for them. Anderson, Erin and Kaitlyn... they could learn to code, maybe find some decent work making solar panels in a high paying green job, or even pool their resources and open a weed shop in the new opportunity economy.

Edited by Cryingdick
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It's a wonder they get the audience they get since it only projects solely the views of the small ethnic group, who make up 2.4% of the American population, that are the top shareholders and managers of Warner Discovery. News channel is a misnomer as it is more of a political views channel. Same goes for Fox News and MSNBC. 

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My own opinion is that there is no media outlet, including newspapers, that don't have a political bias, even the once noble BBC is now tainted, factual news and neutral political commentary is probably impossible today, there is too much money involved and the public, especially the Americans, have been dumbed down, I once heard an American tourist in Cologne cathedral explaining to his wife that the magnificent stone arches were obviously plastic moldings.

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52 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Much like after the 2016 election, CNN's viewing figures are bound to rise now that they have a right-wing government and a crazy president to cover.  It will be fun! 

So the left wing biased CNN's viewing figures which have tanked will rise because Trumps in and they will continue with the radical left agenda. As for 2016 this is when CNN went full left bias which has led to where they are now. In trouble. Well I guess there's some logic in there somewhere.

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Rogan Trump interview has almost 50 million views on YouTube and 23 million on X. 

 

CNN 5 million on election night. The left wing MSM have pushed their viewer base off their platforms thanks to their political Zealotry, outright distortions and lies. 

 

Most people can find a new home on the many social media platforms / podcasts for news and current affairs, left wing MSM have killed their businesses.

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You have Fox News, NewsMax and One America on the right, and CNN and MNSBC on the left.  Cable seems balanced to me and in any case they just cater for their political audience.

 

Not so sure about ABC, NBC and CBS though - and that's what most people watch.

 

 

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These Dem controlled networks better do something fast. They all have been exposed giving favor to the controlling party. They all will be lucky if they do not get their licenses pulled or face bankruptcy from lack of viewers. 

The fact that they chose to go against the Republican parties nominee and have consistently run stories to defame and destroy the credibility or Trump as well as their promoting such good reviews on the Dem Harris even though she was a putz. I am happy the people are opening their eyes and refusing to watch such biased reporting. 

Next the world needs to attack the poll takers who consistently showed Harris as equal to Trump or better than him. I think they should be investigated as well. Pretty hard to believe that at the last minute millions of voters changed their mind to vote for Trump instead of Harris. Yet all the polls showed them so equally divided. Something amiss with that as well. 

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