CNN's Chris Licht held courtroom at a tense city corridor assembly with staff on Tuesday.
Getty Photos for Warner Bros. Di
CNN’s new boss Chris Licht was grilled by anxious staffers at a city corridor assembly over doable layoffs because the cable information big is below strain from company mum or dad Warner Bros. Discovery to slash prices amid fierce financial headwinds.
Licht, who succeeded Jeff Zucker because the community’s most senior govt earlier this 12 months, declined to get into specifics when requested by city corridor moderator Alisyn Camerota which staff have been at risk of dropping their jobs.
However the govt did say that these concerned with facets of CNN who weren't a part of the community’s “core mission” have been almost certainly to get the ax.
CNN is anticipated to announce the subsequent spherical of layoffs subsequent month — which is elevating tensions within the community’s Midtown Manhattan headquarters.
“There are big nerves about that,” a CNN insider advised FOX Digital.
“It wasn’t clear from that city corridor who they’re going to fireside. We’re ready for solutions on that.”
Camerota additionally quizzed Licht on Tuesday about whether or not he was following via on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s imaginative and prescient for the community.
“I personal the imaginative and prescient for this place,” Licht responded. “I didn't take this job to take dictation from anyone.”
Licht added that his boss, Zaslav, was a fan of CNN and that the 2 have been on the identical web page, in keeping with Insider.
Licht mentioned the layoffs might be introduced in early December. Those that might be minimize will get 60 to 90 days’ discover whereas eligible executives would obtain January bonuses and severance.
Staffers reportedly vented their frustrations with Licht after he was quoted as saying in June that there could be no main layoffs, in keeping with Insider.
However Licht defended himself, saying that he spoke the reality as he knew it on the time.
Licht additionally lamented that the community had skilled turmoil within the days and weeks main as much as his arrival and that there could be extra within the coming interval.
He mentioned there could be no layoffs at CNN Digital, although there could be a reorganization of newsgathering operations.
CNN employs 4,600 folks worldwide — 1,200 of whom are based mostly within the US. When Licht arrived, he began slashing among the 300 open positions on the community.
In late October, Licht circulated a memo to staff indicating that layoffs have been imminent and that an ongoing inner shakeup “will speed up.”
“There's widespread concern over the worldwide financial outlook, and we should issue that danger into our long-term planning,” Licht wrote in a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
“All this collectively will imply noticeable change to this group. That, by definition, is unsettling. These modifications is not going to be simple as a result of they are going to have an effect on folks, budgets, and tasks.”
CNN has already made main modifications since Licht took the helm earlier this 12 months, together with shuttering its doomed CNN+ streaming service only one month after its launch, firing longtime community persona Brian Stelter and canceling his present “Dependable Sources.”
Licht additionally shifted Don Lemon out of CNN’s primetime lineup and named him certainly one of three co-anchors on a revamped morning present.
Further reporting by Thomas Barrabi
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