“Hundreds” of CNN staffers were laid off on Thursday as part of wider cost-cutting measures at CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht sent a memo to all staffers Thursday afternoon after the news was delivered to employees. (TVNewser)
Chris Cillizza, who joined CNN as a politics reporter and editor-at-large in 2017, confirmed to The Post that he has been laid off. Susan Glasser, a CNN global affairs analyst, also said that she was “one of many” part-time commentators affected by the cuts. Rachel Metz, a senior technology writer, said she was “devastated” to have been laid off Thursday. (WaPo)
As part of CNN’s cost-cutting measures, HLN will end all live programming. This means the end of the network’s long-running morning show Morning Express with Robin Meade. (TVNewser)
Morning Express will be replaced by a simulcast of CNN This Morning, the recently launched program with Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. Weekend Express on HLN will shut down as well. No date has been set on a final show, according to a CNN representative who confirmed the cancellation. (LA Times / Company Town)
Licht outlined a series of other moves, including replacing an hour of international programming with a show from CNN’s U.S. schedule; expanding CNN’s Spanish-language outlet beyond news; relying more heavily on experts in particular subjects than general contributors; and cutting back or combining production staffs for shows. (Variety)
CNN Newsroom anchor Ana Cabrera is leaving CNN for NBCUniversal News Group. Puck’s Dylan Byers broke the news Thursday morning, adding that she’s likely to end up at MSNBC and wasn’t impacted by the layoffs that are happening at CNN Thursday. (TVNewser)