The New York Times
ABC News is seeking to reduce its staff by nearly 25% in the coming months.
ABC News president David Westin sent a memo out to employees on Tuesday afternoon announcing that the organization would undergo “a fundamental transformation that will ultimately affect every corner of the enterprise.”
Westin stated that the transformation will begin this week and last until the end of the year. By the time the restructuring is complete, Westin writes, “many job descriptions will be different, different skill sets may be required, and, yes, we will likely have substantially fewer people on staff at ABC News.”
According to The New York Times, the restructuring will affect 300 to 400 people, making the cuts “among the steepest ever made at a network news division.”
Westin told TVNewser that he expects the cuts, which will begin with voluntary buy-outs and may end with lay-offs, to be finished “sometime in the next 60-70 days.”
The cuts at ABC News follow recent cuts made by CBS News in which the organization reduced its staff by dozens of employees. In his announcement, Westin emphasized that the reorganization was a forward-looking move. “The time has come to anticipate change, rather than respond to it,” he wrote.