Merry Christmas! CNN boss Chris Licht Puts Network Employees On Notice Of Coming Layoffs

By
David Rufful
-
OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.

Chris Licht officially has notified network employees that they may not have jobs soon.

Licht took over for former president Jeff Zucker and is making big changes at the network that calls itself the “most trusted name in the news” to tone down its far-left political content.

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The changes have already affected Brian Stelter, Jeffrey Toobin, anchor John Harwood, and co-anchor Don Lemon.

The network has suffered in the ratings and looks to change its direction.

Senior media reporter Oliver Darcy posted this tweet to the CNN employees. Licht said, “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.”

Licht continued, “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.”

Licht added, “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.”

Licht said, “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.”

Licht continued, “These changes will not be easy because they will affect people, budgets, and projects.”

It was reported that “CNN will have operating expenses of about $882 million this year, according to estimates from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Even a single-digit percentage cut from that budget would shave millions of dollars and potentially dozens of jobs from the network.”

One CNN employee who may or may not be among those who are packing up their belongings into a cardboard box is anti-Trump diva Jim Acosta with rumors of his impending demise being rudely dismissed as “Absolute bullsh*t.”

Licht is letting employees know things need to change and are changing.

More on this story via BizPac:

“CNN’s profitability has sagged this year as its viewership declined and because of the costs of covering the war in Ukraine. The company is expected to dip below $1 billion in profit in 2022 for the first time in years. The network has lagged behind its chief competitors, Fox News and MSNBC, in total viewership this year, though it has notched wins over MSNBC in the coveted advertiser demographic of 25- to 54 year-olds, according to Nielsen data,” the nation’s “newspaper of record” reported.

One CNN employee who may or may not be among those who are packing up their belongings into a cardboard box is anti-Trump diva Jim Acosta with rumors of his impending demise being rudely dismissed as “Absolute bullsh*t.”

While highly-paid top-level talent like anchors Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer among others are untouchable, Licht’s memo sends the message that, in the words of the legendary Bob Dylan, “the times they are a-changin’” at CNN.