CNN Suspends HLN Live Shows Amid Budget Cuts, Layoffs; Employees hand out farewell messages – update

UPDATED: Some of the big cuts at CNN are happening at HLN, which is ceasing live programming while its true crime series is being merged with Investigation Discovery to create its true crime slate.

A simulcast of CNN this morning will replace HLN Morning Express with Robin Meadesaid a source with knowledge of the plans. Meade is leaving the network along with employees who were part of the layoffs, and Weekend Express is also removed from the schedule. Warner crime programming is sent to Warner Bros. Discovery and Kathleen Finch, president and chief content officer of the US network group.

CNN this morning is the new title of CNN’s revamped morning show, one of the top priorities of Chris Licht, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide. It launched last month with Kaitlan Collins, Poppy Harlow and Don Lemon as co-hosts.

The HLN changes were first reported in Variety and Puck, which also reported on some of the employees notified.

Licht announced to staff Wednesday that layoffs would begin this week.

Among the fired employees was political scientist Chris Cillizza. He is the author of the newsletter and podcast The Point, and before that the political blog The Fix for the Washington Post.

“My time at CNN was absolutely amazing,” Cillizza wrote on Twitter. “Every day I work with intelligent and dedicated journalists. I’m sad that it’s coming to an end, but also excited to see what the future holds for me. Stay tuned!”

Also leaving is Atlanta-based anchor and correspondent Martin Savidge. Savidge reported for the network from 1996 to 2004 and returned to CNN in 2011 after a stint at NBC News.

In an email to Deadline, he said, “My time at CNN dates back to the Ted days [Turner] until today. And if I could, I would stay much longer, but it cannot be. My love for this place extends not only to Ted’s original idea, but also to the thousands here who share my faith in his dream. Most of all, I am grateful for the many who have shared their stories and for the places I have been able to see when searching for news, whether heartbreaking or uplifting. This ride may end, but not the adventure.

National political reporter Dan Merica wrote: “End for me at CNN. But definitely not the end. It’s been a great 12-year run – thanks in large part to some great colleagues – and I look forward to what come. But now I will reflect on how this year has taught me what really matters in life.”

Another employee laid off was Rachel Metz, senior technical writer who wrote that she was CNN’s only AI reporter and the last remaining digital reporter in San Francisco.

EARLY, Wednesday: CNN has begun notifying employees of layoffs, as Chairman and CEO Chris Licht wrote that the announcements will be made Wednesday and Thursday.

“Today we will notify a limited number of people, primarily some of our paid contributors, as part of a recalibrated reporting strategy,” Licht wrote in a memo shared on Twitter by CNN’s Oliver Darcy. “Tomorrow we will notify affected employees and tomorrow afternoon I will provide more details on these changes.”

Licht announced earlier this fall that the network would cut jobs. He wrote that he “recently referred to this process as gut feeling because I know that’s how it feels for all of us”.

“This is going to be a difficult time for everyone,” Licht wrote in the memo. “If your job is at risk, you’ll find out at a face-to-face meeting or via Zoom, depending on your location.” He added that affected employees will receive information about layoffs and their last day. Those eligible for 2022 bonuses will continue to receive them based on performance.

“I know these changes will affect both our departing colleagues and those staying, and we have resources to support you,” Licht wrote.

A spokesman declined to comment on further details. CNN has about 4,000 employees worldwide. According to one source, several hundred workers are said to be affected. The cuts are not expected to affect large contract workers, photojournalists and video news editors, but the layoffs will include some recognizable names.

After the parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has announced it will incur about $1.1 billion in organizational restructuring costs, Licht warned of downsizing and budget and project cuts. The network later announced that it would downsize its CNN Original Series and CNN Films units and move long-form production in-house. The network also cut staff in its audio division.

In a recent podcast, Kara Swisher asked Licht why he told staff in June there were “no layoffs per se,” but that changed months later.

“Remember, the layoffs by themselves … are because we were not part of the synergies of the combined companies,” he said. “We still aren’t. If I am told we are not part of the synergies of the combined businesses, then we were not part of the layoffs this summer.”

Licht said he wants to expand CNN’s “global dominance” by “engaging more people who are already coming to us, especially in the digital space, and then creating an agile news organization that can weather any storm and not just not survive, but survive.” can thrive and use that currency to attract new audiences.”

He emphasized the creation of a multimedia home in the digital, as CNN is the number one news website in the world. “If we can get them to stay and engage and become vital in their lives and become more of a full-service news and information leader, that’s a huge benefit,” he told Swisher. Licht previously announced that the network is “significantly investing” in the digital space and will seek to minimize the impact on its core newsgathering business.

The layoffs lead to a tumultuous year for CNN. Longtime president Jeff Zucker abruptly left the company in February for failing to disclose an affair with an employee. The much-hyped launch of subscription streaming service CNN+ turned out to be a dud, and the company went out of business less than a month later. After Warner Bros. After Discovery closed the deal to acquire AT&T’s Warner Media assets, Licht became head of CNN and began the network overhaul. Recently, Michael Bass, the network’s top programmer, announced his departure.

CNN is not alone in cutting jobs as the media company grapples with a slowdown in advertising and recession fears, as well as shifting consumer habits from expensive cable packages to streaming options. Warner Bros. Discovery faces nearly $50 billion in debt as companies including AMC Networks and Paramount Global cut jobs.

The channel’s ratings are also well below the highs of the 2020 presidential election. With the debut of , Licht made adapting his morning show a priority CNN this morning Earlier this month alongside co-hosts Poppy Harlow, Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins. Last summer, he brought Ryan Kadro on board as senior vice president of content strategy and development with the goal of revitalizing CNN in morning and primetime. The latest period has a significant gap, with a rotating roster of hosts filling the 9pm ET slot since Chris Cuomo was fired last December.

There is more to come.