CNN has announced it will lay off 200 employees at its troubled TV division, as part of CEO Mark Thompson’s long-in-the-making restructuring plan to emphasize a digital future.
In a statement Thursday morning, Thompson warned that the future is still unclear. He told The New York Times that if CNN “doesn’t follow audiences to the new platforms with real conviction and scale, its future prospects will not be good.”
The layoffs were announced in the morning and will impact the network’s traditional TV business. However, it remains unclear whether any big names have been affected.
Thompson — once the CEO of The Times — told the newspaper that he is replacing Jim Acosta’s 10 a.m. show with “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown,” confirming reports that emerged last week.
At the time, the channel labeled these reports as ‘speculation’. The network is now in talks with Acosta — a host who frequently clashed with then-President Trump — about a new role, Thompson said.
He added that those being dumped will soon be replaced by workers with more digital skills, specifically mentioning data scientists and product engineers.
The long-time Times and BBC boss was initially brought in to lead the network in 2023, and ratings have since fallen by more than 20 percent. What made matters worse for the network on Election Day was that its ratings dropped even further since then.
After a Trump presidency and a Biden term, it is losing to Fox News and even MSNBC after being the top dog for a long time.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson, pictured, announced 200 layoffs at the network’s traditional TV operation Thursday morning

Thompson — once the CEO of The Times — told the newspaper he is replacing Jim Acosta’s 10 a.m. show with “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown,” confirming reports that emerged last week.
Thompson also told his staff that the network’s future is digital, giving people the news they want, when they want it – rather than expecting them to tune in to shows scheduled at set times.
The network has warned reporters and anchors not to fill the airwaves with anti-Trump tirades, as many did during President Trump’s previous term.
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