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Layoffs hit CBS News and Paramount as David Ellison’s cost-cutting plan takes effect

Poynter · Tom Jones · last updated

The feared hammer is coming down at Paramount.

When David Ellison took over the media company in August, plans were put in place to greatly reduce staff and costs. That massive reduction began Wednesday as 1,000 staffers — somewhere between 5% and 10% of the organization — were laid off.

And this is just the beginning.

The Los Angeles Times’ Meg James and Samantha Masunaga reported, “People familiar with the matter but not authorized to comment said the layoffs were being felt throughout the organization, including at CBS, CBS News, cable channels including MTV and Comedy Central, television production as well as the historic Melrose Avenue film studio.”

CNN’s Brian Stelter reported that nearly 100 positions at CBS News are being eliminated. Stelter added that plans for the cuts were already in place before Ellison hired Bari Weiss to be CBS News’ editor-in-chief.

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