CNN is expected to unveil significant staffing cuts as soon as Thursday, according to three people familiar with the matter, as CEO Mark Thompson continues to plot a new emphasis on digital content.
A CNN spokesperson could not be reached for immediate comment. The staffing cuts have been expected for weeks, but CNBC on Wednesday reported they were imminent.
There is an understanding that the layoffs are primarily directed at staffers who work off camera, according to these people, with some production jobs in New York and Washington, D.C. seen heading to CNN’s Atlanta facilities. Most of the anchors at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet are expected to be spared.
CNN has been grappling with significant downturns in viewership, and has long been mulling a set of maneuvers that will put more of a spotlight on digital content.
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CNN CEO Mark Thompson recently told staffers that corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery planned to invest $70 million in his strategic vision to augment digital content. There are expectations that CNN will examine launching new properties tied to health, wellness and other topics in which executives hope consumers will have interest. “We will develop new digital products with a special focus on digital experiences worth paying for,” the executive told staffers in a memo in July.