CNN is undergoing a significant transformation, laying off approximately 6% of its workforce while unveiling a revamped digital and programming strategy. The move, announced by CEO Mark Thompson on Thursday, includes a new streaming service, an overhauled digital presence, and a fresh weekday show lineup.
The layoffs will affect around 200 employees, though Thompson assured staff in a memo that numerous new job openings will be created. He emphasized that the network’s total headcount is expected to remain stable by the end of the year.
“The changes we’re announcing today are part of an ongoing response by this great news organization to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news,” Thompson wrote. “Our objective is a simple one: to shift CNN’s gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting.”
CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is backing the initiative with a $70 million investment into the network’s digital transformation. This includes the launch of a paid subscription service, priced at $3.99 per month, and an expansion of its existing CNN Max streaming platform. Additional digital products, including CNN’s first lifestyle-oriented subscription service, are also in development.
The restructuring results from broader industry trends, with major news networks struggling to maintain traditional television audiences as viewers increasingly shift to digital platforms. Last summer, CNN cut 100 positions, or roughly 3% of its workforce, as part of its efforts to streamline its newsgathering operations.
In addition to digital expansion, CNN is making major changes to its weekday programming. Wolf Blitzer’s “The Situation Room” will now air from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., co-anchored by Pamela Brown. Audie Cornish will helm a new morning show at 6 a.m., while Kasie Hunt takes over the 4 p.m. slot. Jake Tapper’s program shifts to a 5-7 p.m. window, and Rahel Solomon will launch a show at 5 a.m. A new role for Jim Acosta is still being discussed, according to a CNN spokesperson.
Thompson stated that the new lineup is designed to bring “energy and competitive edge” and “production costs on sustainable footing to match the changing economics of linear television platforms.” The revamped schedule is set to debut in March.
