Today the window closes for ABC News staffers who have volunteered for a buyout as the news division looks to cut 300-400 jobs. Over the next several weeks ABC News will be assessing the volunteers. Those who’ve been accepted will be notified by April 15. Then, depending on how may people are accepted, ABC will move to layoffs which will be concluded by April 30. To say the least, these are tense days in the halls of ABC News. One staffer tells TVNewser, “It’s hard to get any work done thinking about all this.”
TVNewser has also learned that ABC’s #2 talent executive Tory Smith is one of those who’ve volunteered for the buyout. Smith, as director of talent recruitment, reports to Amy Entelis who is the SVP of talent development and a 31-year veteran of the network.
We’ve also learned that by the end of next week all ABC News correspondents will know their fate. Earlier this week, three west coast correspondents were informed that their contracts would not be renewed.
The buyout plan is for non-union, non-contract staff employees in the U.S. which is why some of the cuts have already occurred while others are still looming.