As a long-time follower and admirer of ABC News, I must say that today’s news of layoffs has left me feeling a bit like a lone ranger in tumbleweed town. The media landscape is indeed undergoing a transformation, and it seems that every major player is feeling the pressure to adapt or perish.
On Wednesday, layoffs affected both ABC News and the entire ABC network station group, as part of an on-going reorganization process within Disney.
Approximately 75 employees from ABC News and its locally owned television stations will be terminated, according to information obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. This number is roughly equally divided between the national news organization and the station group. These changes won’t affect any programming, and no entire departments will be dismantled. However, the company is implementing these adjustments to ensure they remain financially viable, efficient, and adaptable for the future, as a source familiar with the decision stated.
On Wednesday, ABC News president Almin Karmehmedovic and head of ABC stations Chad Matthews shared news of a reorganization in internal memos sent to their respective teams.
Recently, this situation has been prevalent not only within our company but also throughout the broader industry,” Karmehmedovic explained. “For us, this implies assembling a team that adapts to the changing media landscape and grows with it. This is necessary for us to keep providing content to our viewers.
Moving forward, our goal is to shape a team that excels in both exceptional reporting and top-tier content delivery while ensuring efficiency and long-term viability. From time to time, this requires difficult choices, and I regret to inform you that today is such a day.” (Paraphrased)
Matthews pointed out that our industry is experiencing a unique transformation, as seen in daily headlines about efficiency improvements at major media firms. Although we’re not exempt from the challenges facing this sector today, we’ll make thoughtful choices regarding our organization’s future direction.
The news from your local area is vital to every community, and it’s great to see so many dedicated teams nationwide who deeply care about their communities, just like you do. Our dedication to our audience will never waver as we adapt our organization to tackle the issues of today and tomorrow.
In the past few weeks, Disney has been undergoing a series of reductions throughout the company as part of a new phase of reorganization. This move involved cost-cutting measures last month within its corporate hierarchy, as well as significant changes to its television studios. Specifically, all scripted programming is now being consolidated into a single division, and Disney’s ABC Signature studio has been closed down and merged with 20th TV.
This year, Pixar reduced its workforce by approximately 175 positions as they shifted focus from producing television series. Last year, Disney carried out a significant reorganization, resulting in the elimination of around 7,000 roles.
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2024-10-02 18:25