CNN reduces London operation as losses mount
CNN is poised to lay off at least a dozen London-based employees after revealing annual losses of £8m to staff at a town hall meeting last night, chaired by president Jeff Zucker.
According to The Guardian, the decision caught many off guard with Zucker flying to London to deliver the decision in person.
As a result, the volume of London-produced material broadcast on CNN International will be reduced by 90 minutes per day, to be replaced by simulcasts taken from the home CNN network in the US as well as more repeats and material sourced from its Abu Dhabi office.
Some shows such as CNN Talk will be cancelled entirely as the channel pivots away from a traditional TV offering toward a renewed focus on its online output.
A CNN spokesperson said: “In the coming months, CNN International will be consolidating key parts of its production model centrally in Atlanta, in much the same way as we currently do with large parts of our programming for CNN US. This means that some jobs will shift from London to Atlanta, but overall headcount will be unchanged.”
Increased uncertainty at the broadcaster was precipitated by the departure of CNN International head Tony Maddox earlier this month, compounding a bitter public relations spat with US president Donald Trump who has accused the network of peddling ‘fake news’.
CNN’s parent company Time Warner was also recently taken over by AT&T, sparking a broader reappraisal of the business.
via DMT.NEWS, John Glenday, Khareem Sudlow
