CNN Lays Off Staffers as Network Takes Aim at its Audio Division: Report
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CNN laid off a number of employees from its audio division on Tuesday as new boss Chris Licht continues to make sweeping changes at the network.
Business Insider confirmed the cuts were made. According to its reporting, those affected were in sales and editorial positions. One now-former CNN employee said eight people were shown the door.
The outlet noted:
CNN is laying off people in its audio division, according to affected staffers. One product manager posted on LinkedIn that their position had been eliminated and that the company told staff it planned to produce fewer audio series in 2023.
Another person who was laid off told Insider that about eight people were affected, impacting editorial and sales. A CNN spokesperson confirmed a small number of cuts in audio took place.
“Audio is an important growth area for the company,” someone from CNN told Business Insider. “Over the last several years we’ve learned a lot about the topics and productions that most resonate with our audiences. As a result, we’ve refined our strategy to focus our resources more specifically in those areas.”
CNN audio produces podcasts for network personalities such as Anderson Cooper, Poppy Harlow and Harry Enten. It is unclear if any podcasts currently offered by the network will be affected.
Alexander McCall, a now-former CNN audio employee, tweeted Tuesday afternoon he was informed the company intends to produce fewer audio series in the coming year.
Some bittersweet personal news: I learned today that my position at @CNN Audio is being eliminated, along with the positions of some of my podcasting colleagues.
Why? I don’t know, exactly. We were told the company plans to produce fewer audio series next year. https://t.co/5SupKeNUTV
— alexander w. mccall (he/him) (@awmccall) September 27, 2022
The staffing cuts come as Licht has announced shakeups in CNN’s lineup, and as the network has parted ways with people such as former Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter and former White House correspondent John Harwood.
One of Licht’s first orders of business earlier this year was scrapping the much-anticipated and advertised streaming platform CNN+ after less than a month.
