CBS News will lay off about 6% of its staff in the latest cost-cutting measures by new management at Paramount Skydance, according to people familiar with the matter. The station will also end its century-old CBS News Radio service, which carried Edward R. Murrow’s reporting, which served about 700 stations.
The layoffs (about 60 to 70 jobs total) come after CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss made clear plans to make CBS News more relevant to a younger, digitally savvy generation, which may require a recalibration of traditional respect for the linear TV programming that is the bread and butter of the business.
Employees were informed of the move Friday in a memo from Weiss and CBS News President Tom Cybrowski.
“It’s no secret that the news business is fundamentally changing, and we need to change with it. New audiences are proliferating in new places, and we have an ambitious plan to grow and invest to be there for them. That means we need to downsize some of our newsrooms to make room for what we need to build to stay competitive,” executives said in a statement. “But these are very difficult choices and today is a difficult day.”
In a separate memo, executives said they had to end the radio service due to changes in the way consumers get their news. “While this was a necessary decision, it was not an easy one. In addition to harsh economic realities, changes in the station’s programming strategy made continuation of the service impossible,” they said. “We are sharing this announcement now to fulfill our commitments to our radio partners and affiliates who require advance notice of service termination.”
CBS News Radio has its roots in Murrow’s World War II reporting from London and now delivers updates from the White House and its signature broadcast, “World News Roundup.” For years, CBS Evening News anchors, including Norah O’Donnell and Jeff Groh, have delivered afternoon updates through their radio service.
The Writers Guild of America said the cuts demonstrate mismanagement of CBS News by Paramount Skydance and Weiss, who joined the station last year after Paramount acquired the Free Press for a reported $150 million.
“CBS News Radio is an institution where generations of the best journalists in this country have spent their careers reporting the news and holding those in power accountable. The decision to simply shut down CBS News Radio shows the incompetent leadership of Bari Weiss and David Ellison,” the union said in a statement. “The dozens of CBS journalists fired today have served the American people with their talent and dedication. Given the damage David Ellison has inflicted on CBS News in just a few short months, the Ellison family should not be allowed to buy CNN and other important news organizations.”
The overall reduction is smaller than previously expected. In February, information surfaced that the news department could cut up to 15% of its staff. At the time, discussions about layoffs and layoffs were said to be in flux, with the timeline for their implementation estimated to be from March to May.
Weiss said in January that he would ask staff at City Hall to update internal processes. When considering stories, Weiss said, staffers need to think not about “what shows will cover it” or “what time it will air on linear TV,” but instead “how can we create the most revelatory stories for an audience that expects their news instantly and on demand. And for a younger generation for whom ‘streaming’ and ‘social’ are simply TV and news.”
Weiss is not the only senior news executive looking for ways to reach modern audiences. CNN has announced a subscription-based streaming service aimed at giving mobile viewers more options in how they view Warner Bros. Discovery Outlet’s news collection. NBC News has launched several streaming products built around flagship shows like “Today” and “Dateline,” as well as a daily livestreaming service that leverages anchors like Tom Lama and Harry Jackson. Fox News is putting new emphasis on its Fox Nation subscription service, which relies heavily on audio and lifestyle programming.
CNN and NBC News have enacted layoffs in recent months. CNN CEO Mark Thompson has made no secret of his desire for a new focus on news products for mobile viewers, but NBC News has had to restructure its organization to shore up its finances for a time without revenue from MS NOW or CNBC. These two networks, along with most of NBCUniversal’s cable portfolio, were spun off into a separate company called Versant.
