As reported earlier on tvnews4u.com Layoffs have begun at CNN with as many as 300, or 8%, of CNN’s workforce being cut in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles.
Some cuts have already come by way of voluntary buyouts, says TV Newser. Other open positions are not being filled. The remainder, the bulk of which are happening today and tomorrow, are through layoffs.
One of the most high profile departures is Darius Walker, VP and Northeast Bureau Chief based in New York. Walker has been with CNN since 1996, beginning as a senior editor on the international desk in Atlanta. He’s also had stints in the Washington bureau and at CNNfn.
TV Newser says up to 28 jobs are being cut in Washington, D.C., many of them news-gathering positions.
The CNN entertainment unit is also being disbanded and staffers in New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles are going. Correspondent Nischelle Turner left the network last week for “Entertainment Tonight.”
Mashable reports Christiane Amanpour‘s New York-based staff has also been cut.
“The changes this week are difficult yet necessary,” a CNN spokesperson told TVNewser. “Out of respect for our colleagues directly impacted, we won’t be commenting on specific people or programs.”
CNN is just one of the Turner networks facing cuts that are part of CEO John Martin’s goal to createwhat he describes as a more “streamlined, nimble and efficient company.
