CNN Will Layoff Hundrends Of Employees Including Top Stars

The Daily Mail has reported that CNN is on the verge of laying off hundreds of workers, including some of its network’s top stars.

Shortly after news broke that Chris Wallace had left the network, reports surfaced that CNN will axe hundreds of employees, including some of the network’s biggest stars.

Investigative reporter Dylan Byers reported, “In the next few months, I’m told, CNN will implement another round of layoffs that will impact hundreds of employees across the organization, including those whose TV production talents won’t necessarily be needed in the new digital-first landscape.”

Byers added, “Some of the on-air talent are also likely to be affected.”

JUST IN: CNN will be firing hundreds of employees including some of their top stars according to Puck News.

The news comes as CNN's Chris Wallace says he is not returning after his contract expires.

"In the next few months, I’m told, CNN will implement another round of layoffs… pic.twitter.com/oHn9uJVNL9

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 12, 2024

BREAKING: CNN to fire stars, hundreds of staff, as the network's ratings continue to tank.https://t.co/uKBjIYbq81 pic.twitter.com/sAa6wSMxjd

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 12, 2024

Here’s what Pop Culture reported:

Just after news broke of Chris Wallace ditching CNN, the network is now slated to cut “hundreds of jobs,” according to a new report from Puck News’ Dylan Byers. The outlet, which is a frequent news-breaker when it comes to TV news shakeups, reports that CNN’s CEO Mark Thompson will lay off tons of employees to cut costs and streamline CNN for digital platforms. Some on-camera anchors and talents are reportedly slated to be fired as part of these cuts.

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“In the next few months, I’m told, CNN will implement another round of layoffs that will impact hundreds of employees across the organization, including those whose TV production talents won’t necessarily be needed in the new digital-first landscape,” Byers wrote, adding that, “Some of the on-air talent are also likely to be affected.”

Comcast is putting MSNBC up for sale.
CNN just announced massive layoffs coming.

Maybe the new owners will figure out that lying non-stop to your audience is a lousy business model. pic.twitter.com/XRSE15aGWQ

— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) November 12, 2024

Check out what the Daily Mail reported:

CNN is reportedly set to nix some of its top talent in a round of post-election layoffs.

The rumblings, first reported by Puck News, come as high-paid personalities like Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer were reportedly recently denied raises.

The two already boast salaries of $7million and $3million, while stars like Anderson Cooper take home an annual $20million.

Insiders told Puck the new round of firings will likely see on-air talent like them affected, as the network’s new CEO looks to free up finances amid waning ratings.

RELATED REPORT:

BREAKING: Chris Wallace Out At CNN! Will Pursue Strange New Career….

BREAKING: Chris Wallace Out At CNN! Will Pursue Strange New Career....

In a surprise breaking news alert, Chris Wallace is OUT at CNN.

But according to the official story, he hasn't been fired...

He's leaving on his own accord voluntarily, walking away from 7-figure salary negotiations because....he wants to try podcasting!

Anyone else think something strange is going on?

It reminds me of when an NFL head coach is fired but they claim they quit because they just want to "spend more time with their family".

Yeah, I'm not buying it.

But here's the official report:

CNN host Chris Wallace leaving network after 3 years to explore possible full-time podcasting career https://t.co/afeo2OZplE pic.twitter.com/yjQTWR2H91

— New York Post (@nypost) November 12, 2024

From the NY Post:

CNN host Chris Wallace is leaving the cable television network to work on an independent platform in a shocking move that was reported Monday.

The 77-year-old broadcaster revealed his future plans in an interview with the Daily Beast after spending the past three years at CNN.

He said he wants to pivot to streaming or podcasting, claiming that’s “where the action seems to be,” according to the outlet.

We broke Chris Wallace and we broke CNN:

77-year-old Chris Wallace will quit CNN and walk away from a seven-figure salary rather than renegotiate his contract. His plan is to go into independent streaming or podcasting, pointing to Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God's reach as inspiration.

Legacy news outlets are losing… pic.twitter.com/W8osi6V1q1

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 12, 2024

For a walk down memory lane, let's all remember how biased he was during the 2020 debates:

Chris Wallace is extremely biased.

Remember when he derailed the first presidential debate in 2020?

Here’s a flashback of me calling out Wallace to his face…pic.twitter.com/iQu7PUYBjA https://t.co/nMglmPQTCu

— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) November 12, 2024

So Wallace thinks he will be more successful at podcasting, huh?

Fancies himself the new Joe Rogan?

How hilarious is that!

Almost no one watched Chris Wallace even when he was on CNN and CNN was playing in every airport out there for some reason, but he thinks people will voluntarily tune in to find him on some streaming platform?

That's hilarious!

MEMO TO CHRIS: the issue is not with the platform, the issue is with you.  No one likes you.  No one trusts you.  No one cares what you have to say.  No one likes how you inject your bias into the Presidential Debates.  We don't want to watch you in a house, we don't want to watch you with a mouse.  We don't want you here or there, we don't want you....ANYWHERE!

Wallace should ask his buddy Don Lemon how "podcasting" is going for him....

I don't think Don has turned into the next Joe Rogan yet, but I'm sure he will very soon! 🤣

The Daily Beast had more details around the STRANGE story:

Chris Wallace is quitting CNN after three years as one of its biggest stars, he exclusively told the Daily Beast Monday.

The 77-year-old broadcaster said he will instead find a new home on an independent platform such as streaming or podcasting, which he described as “where the action seems to be.” He highlighted how podcasters including Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God had set the agenda during the presidential election, but added, “I don’t flatter myself to think I will have that sort of reach.”

The stunning decision by Wallace to walk away from CNN at the end of his three-year, seven-figure contract, rather than to renegotiate it, is a watershed moment for cable TV. It comes as other anchors face being fired or having salaries cut as declining ratings and cord-cutting hit the industry’s bottom line.

Chris Wallace seemed bearish on Kamala Harris’ chances given exit polls that suggested widespread dissatisfaction in the Biden Administration. “In conventional terms, it would be a miracle that Kamala Harris could win with that kind of headwind.”

Wallace spent 12 hours on air on election night last week, making him one of the key faces of CNN's coverage.
Wallace was one of the main faces of CNN’s election night coverage last week, correctly forecasting that Kamala Harris would need a “miracle” to win as the first exit polls showed the depths of her electoral difficulty. He came to CNN in 2021 after 18 years at Fox News, where he had interviewed Donald Trump repeatedly and earned praise for his handling of the fiery 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden.

But he told the Daily Beast that his career in broadcast television–which began on local TV in Chicago in 1973 and spanned NBC’s The Today Show and Meet The Press, ABC’s PrimeTime Live and Fox News Sunday before he joined CNN–will be over when his contract lapses at the end of the year, describing it as “quite liberating.”

“This is the first time in 55 years I‘ve been between jobs,” he said. “I am actually excited and liberated by that.”

Dana Bash and Jim Jordan on "State of the Union."
Wallace is considering what streaming or podcast format would work for him, and added, “Not knowing is part of the challenge. I‘m waiting to see what comes over the transom. It might be something that I haven’t thought of at all.”

CNN wanted to retain Wallace but his decision to quit ahead of contract talks will be seen as a sign of CNN’s waning influence in the media landscape. Its ratings have been consistently down, with its election night coverage falling far behind Fox News. In relative terms, it has slid further and faster than its competitors, Fox and MSNBC, leading to pressure to cut costs.

Wallace emphasized that his decision was not a criticism of his employers. “I have nothing but positive things to say. CNN has been very good to me,” he said. He joined to be one of the key faces of the CNN+ streaming network, only for it to be closed by the new CNN CEO, Chris Licht, a month after going live in March 2022. Wallace anchors The Chris Wallace Show on Saturday mornings and Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, which streams on Max.

Wallace joined CNN after 18 years at Fox News. That had included moderating the Trump-Biden debate in 2020 in which the then-president sparred with Wallace as well as his presidential rival.

CNN CEO and Chairman Mark Thompson said in a statement: “Chris Wallace is one of the most respected political journalists in the news business with a unique track record across radio, print, broadcast television, cable television and streaming. We want to thank him for the dedication and wisdom he’s brought to all his work at CNN and to wish him the very best for the future.”

What do you think?

Do you take this story at face value?