BREAKING: CNN To Lay Off 6% Of Workforce Amid Digital Shift

Warner Bros Discovery-owned CNN is set to lay off approximately 6% of its workforce as the network intensifies its shift toward a more digital-focused strategy. The decision was revealed on Thursday.

Legacy cable networks, once a highly profitable sector, have faced mounting challenges due to cord-cutting trends, with consumers increasingly favoring streaming services over traditional television.

In response to these market changes, Warner Bros Discovery announced in December its plan to restructure operations by splitting its cable TV networks from its streaming and studio businesses, creating two distinct units.

Under the new organisational framework, CNN, along with TNT and Animal Planet, will be consolidated into a division named Global Linear Networks.

The job cuts are part of CNN’s efforts to streamline its cable operations and enhance its digital subscription offerings to better meet the changing preferences of viewers.

“Our objective is a simple one: to shift CNN’s gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson stated in the memo.

Thompson further revealed that CNN has commenced work on a new streaming service designed to replicate its traditional TV news programming.

Additionally, the network plans to introduce a lifestyle-oriented product later this year as part of its broader digital expansion.

Despite the layoffs, CNN is set to hire for at least 100 new positions in the coming months to support its digital transformation.

The expansion efforts are being backed by a $70 million investment from Warner Bros Discovery, Thompson noted.

As part of its digital revenue strategy, CNN introduced a paywall in October, requiring some users to pay $3.99 per month for access to its content.