Today, we’re diving into some major shakeups happening in the media world as two of the largest mainstream outlets—ABC and CNN—are making significant cuts in response to declining viewership and the need to slash costs. Both networks, known for their liberal news coverage, are feeling the pressure as they struggle with sluggish ratings and a changing media landscape.
Let’s start with ABC. Despite being one of the network’s top-rated programs, “Good Morning America” has been ordered by its parent company, Disney, to find a whopping $19 million in savings. This figure is up from the originally projected $17 million and needs to be achieved by the end of the fiscal quarter on September 30th.
Insiders have revealed that the cuts will mostly impact behind-the-scenes staff, such as bookers and producers, rather than the network’s top stars like Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and George Stephanopoulos, who reportedly earn between $17 million and $18 million each. While these high-profile anchors are safe, for now, the belt-tightening is expected to hit lower-level employees the hardest.
But ABC isn’t the only network feeling the squeeze. Over at CNN, the network is making some drastic changes as it continues to grapple with a significant ratings slump. One of the most notable decisions is the shutdown of CNN’s entire opinion section.
An email from an opinion editor confirmed the news, offering a bittersweet farewell to colleagues and hinting at more job cuts to come. CNN has been vague about the details, but a spokesperson confirmed that the opinion section on CNN.com would be discontinued as part of a broader strategy to streamline operations.
These changes at CNN come under the leadership of CEO Mark Thompson, who has been tasked with finding ways to cut costs amid declining viewership. Thompson’s plan involves merging the television newsgathering and digital news divisions, signaling a shift away from traditional TV news. This move is part of a broader effort to transition CNN’s focus more toward digital content, although it’s clear that this shift will come with significant challenges and potential job losses.
CNN’s struggles have been particularly pronounced in recent months. In May, the network reported its lowest viewership levels in decades, with an average of just 83,000 viewers in the key 25-54 age demographic during prime time—a stark contrast to its competitors.
Overall, CNN lagged far behind, drawing 494,000 viewers compared to 2 million for Fox and 1.1 million for MSNBC during the same period. These numbers paint a bleak picture for the network, which once prided itself as the “most trusted name in news.”
Thompson has attributed some of the network’s ratings woes to the transition away from traditional news coverage, with a greater emphasis on pop culture topics. However, this strategy has yet to pay off, as viewers seem to be tuning out rather than in. The network has already announced plans to lay off at least 100 employees, with the possibility of more cuts on the horizon.
