Layoffs hit ABC News and Disney’s entertainment TV channels
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ABC News and Walt Disney Co. entertainment networks are being hit with a 6% reduction in staff amid shrinking ratings and revenue for traditional television.
Workers were told of the cuts Wednesday. The reduction of 200 positions is being made across Disney‘s television units, with news suffering the biggest job losses. A majority of the cuts will affect ABC News employees in New York.
Rumors of workforce reductions have circulated for months at the news division, which like other outlets has seen its audience leave TV channels for streaming platforms.
ABC News shed about 40 employees in a round of layoffs in October, which also hit the company’s TV stations for a total of 75 cuts. The reductions announced Wednesday will hit the network’s entertainment networks as well as the news division.
Godwin came to the Walt Disney Co. unit from CBS. She made history as the first Black broadcast news division president.
Almin Karamehmedovic, president of ABC News, said in a note to staff that the cuts are aimed at streamlining the operation and positioning it for the changes in the TV landscape.
“Rethinking the way we work to future-proof our team regrettably includes reductions to our extraordinary staff,” Karamehmedovic said. “These decisions are incredibly challenging and today will undoubtedly be difficult for our organization. ”
No on-air correspondents or anchors at ABC News will lose their jobs in the cutbacks, according to one person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to comment publicly.
ABC News will consolidate the staffs of “Good Morning America” with the afternoon edition of the show known as “GMA 3,” according to the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the layoffs. The staffs of newsmagazine “20/20” and late night program “Nightline” are being consolidated under the ABC News Studios production unit.
ABC News is also shuttering 538, the data journalism unit Disney acquired from founder Nate Silver.
ABC News has long been the leader among evening news viewers with “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.”
But “Good Morning America” — which has three of the highest-paid news hosts in TV with George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan — is running behind NBC’s “Today” for the first time in seven years.
In the 2024-25 season, “Today” has a slight edge over “GMA” in total viewers and wins a wider margin among the 25 to 54 age group preferred by advertisers who buy against news programming.
ABC News has also been investing in the streaming news service ABC News Live, which attracts younger viewers but only a fraction of the audience size for network TV broadcasts.
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