CNN announced a restructuring on Thursday that includes about 200 dismissals, an accelerated pivot for digital operations and new television roles for personalities such as Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper and Audie Cornish.
Is the boldest reconstruction still in 18-month term I CEO Mark Thompson, a former chief executive in the New York Times and BBC called by the parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to revive the fate of the newspaper’s flag.
The extensions are focused on CNN TV business, where estimates have fallen as consumers interrupt the cable and require other news sources. They will eventually be compensated by new employment on Digital, where Warner Bros. Discovery is making a $ 70 million investment, CNN said.
“This is not a cost savings exercise,” Thompson said in an interview. “We are actually supporting with increased investments.”
Departures either have occurred or are foreseen throughout the news industry. CNN ratings have received a hit since the election of President Donald Trump, a long critic of the network. CNN on average 1.7 million viewers for the inauguration of Trump this week, compared to 8 million for Joe Biden’s inauguration four years ago, though the audience may fluctuate based on the political attitude of the person being inaugurated.
CNN also got a financial hit – how unclear – when a jury in Florida last week found the network responsible For the slander of a US Navy veteran in a story that involves a paid attempt to bring endangered Afghan after taking over in the Taliban of their country. The network resolved the issue before the jury can fully decide the damage.
CNN announced on Thursday that it was developing a product that would allow consumers to watch a video broadcast similar to TV on any device, though it will not be Simulcast TV. There was no estimated start date.
Under Thompson, CNN has quietly redesigned and offered new features on its CNN.com page. At the end of last year, it created a monthly reconciliation of $ 3.99 and $ 29.99 to its heaviest users, and is working on new online products in areas such as living, weather and sports.
In some respects, Thompson is trying to do for CNN what he did in The Times, where his digital products modernized the newspaper’s business. Leaders are hoping that the CNN video component and international presence offers growth opportunities that will not copy the time.
CNN transformation “is not and cannot be a single set of changes, but an investment process, experimentation and adaptation that will last years,” Thompson said in a memorandum for CNN staff. “Our target is simple: to shift CNN’s gravity to platforms and products where the audience itself is moving.”
CNN is looking for savings on television with weaker staff and a transfer of some of its technical operations to its Atlanta office.
The network announced a series of schedule changes: the “Situation Room” of the Blitzer veterans’ anchor will move from the evening to the 10th in the East morning, where he will join Pamela Brown; TAPPER’s two-hour show will now begin on 5 afternoon; Cornish will wait “cnn this morning” starting at 6am; Kasie Hunt will host a new show, “Arena”, at 4am; And Rahel Solomon will do a show, “5 things”, at 5 in the morning
The left is currently the current host of the late morning, Jim Acosta, a frequent sparring partner of Trump during the president’s first term. He is negotiating a new role, CNN said, as he is reported to have been blocked in a late night task.
In addition to cutting the cord, the biggest challenge of the television network is the achievement of Trump supporters who consider the territory of the network enemy. Many supporters, in fact, went to the Internet on Thursday to express Glee with the thought of vacation from work there.
“Not only is Trump stronger than he has ever been in his political career, he may have killed Legacy media after we know him,” wrote Radio’s host and Outkick founder Clay Travis on X.
Thompson said he wanted CNN to be distinguished by strong journalism and controlling facts to let viewers make up their minds on issues. He noted Abby Phillip’s first time program as one of the few in cable news that allows people with extensive divergent appearance to debate issues.
“I think we should continue our work calmly and patiently as journalists,” he said.
___
David Bauder writes about the media intersection and entertainment for AP. Follow it in http://x.com/dbauder AND https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social