Two of the largest mainstream media outlets are cutting jobs and closing major departments in an effort to reduce costs as viewers increasingly turn away from their liberal news coverage. ABC and CNN, which have faced sluggish ratings recently, are making significant cuts, according to The Hill and the New York Post. ABC’s parent company, Disney, has instructed the news network’s “Good Morning America” to find $19 million in savings, despite it being one of the network’s top-rated programs.
This figure, up from the initially projected $17 million, must be achieved by the end of the fiscal quarter on September 30th, according to sources who spoke with the Post. Additionally, Disney plans to reduce staff at its cable networks NatGeo and Freeform by a combined 140 positions. The cuts may be particularly hard-hitting for lower-level employees, as sources indicate that the high salaries of ABC’s top reporters—such as Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and George Stephanopoulos—are not expected to be affected. Instead, the reductions will primarily impact behind-the-scenes bookers and producers.
“They all have contracts, so there will be no cut at that level,” a former ABC News exec said of the hosts, who are estimated to make between $17 million and $18 million each. “But they will have to cut jobs.”
CNN, once hailed as the “most trusted name in news,” will be closing its entire opinion section. An opinion editor, in a farewell email obtained by The Hill, informed colleagues of the decision, expressing hope that their paths would cross again in the future—a bittersweet sign of more job cuts to come. “Just a quick note to let you know that unfortunately CNN has decided to shut down the opinion section,” the editor wrote. “I hope our paths cross elsewhere!”
CNN confirmed the shuttering of the section but did not elaborate on rumors of staff reductions. “We did make the decision at the beginning of the month to sunset the opinion vertical on CNN.com; as a result, we will no longer have a standalone Opinion section,” a spokesperson said in the statement. Some of the CNN opinion pages’ most recent think pieces include hot takes on inclusivity at the Paris Olympics and a column titled “Project 2025 is coming for our kids, too” by Veronica Goodman, a progressive activist.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson has instructed his team to seek cost savings amid a severe ratings slump, which has even led to cuts in the seven-figure salaries of top anchors and reporters. Earlier this month, the network announced plans to lay off at least 100 employees and did not exclude the possibility of further reductions. In a memo sent to staff on Wednesday, Thompson detailed his plan to reduce payroll, primarily through merging the television newsgathering and digital news divisions. He acknowledged that the transition away from traditional TV would be challenging.
“We recognize its potentially enormous impact on the individuals affected,” Thompson wrote to his 4,000 employees worldwide. He declined to provide the Journal with further details about his shift to digital but said the move would “be significantly built out of CNN.com.”
In May, CNN reported its lowest viewership levels in decades. From May 13th to 19th, the network averaged just 83,000 viewers in the key 25-54 age demographic between 8 and 11 p.m., marking its lowest figure in over 30 years. Overall, CNN lagged significantly behind its competitors in the news ratings race. During this period, CNN attracted 494,000 viewers, compared to 2 million for Fox and 1.1 million for MSNBC. Thompson attributed the declining ratings to a transitional phase as CNN shifts its focus from traditional news to more pop culture topics.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.