The redundancies are set to come amid a shift in focus to a digital audience, CNBC has reported
© Getty Images / Artur Widak/NurPhoto CNN is planning to axe hundreds of its 3,500 workforce as soon as Thursday, people familiar with the matter have told rival US network CNBC. The US media multinational is reorienting towards digital audiences and away from TV. The Warner Bros Discovery asset must reportedly reduce its TV production costs, consolidate teams and expand its digital subscription offers, CNBC claimed on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The cuts are not expected to affect the CNN’S most recognizable names, the sources said, adding that several shows that are currently produced in New York or Washington could move to Atlanta. The multinational introduced a digital paywall last October, when it began charging a monthly fee of $3.99 from its frequent users. NBC News, owned by Comcast, the world’s fourth-largest broadcaster by revenue, is also planning job cuts this week, CNBC noted, citing sources familiar with the situation, who claimed that the layoffs would impact less than 50 staff. READ MORE: Washington Post web traffic plummets nearly 90% – media The current news media landscape is in transition as watching linear TV is becoming less popular, with more people consuming news on streaming services and through social media. The Washington Post announced earlier this month that it would dismiss around 4% of its workforce in an effort to reduce costs amid increasing losses. In November, the Associated Press announced plans to slash some 8% of its workforce as the news agency seeks to update operations and products.
