CNN to cut UK jobs, reduce amount of London-produced content

News broadcaster CNN is planning on making cuts to its London office, with at least 12 employees expected to lose their job as a result.

As reported by The Guardian, CNN boss Jeff Zucker made an announcement at the company’s London base on Tuesday.

According to the report, Zucker told staff that CNN International was operating at losses of US$10 million (€8.93 million) a year.

As a result of these cuts, the total amount of content broadcast on CNN International from London will be reduced by 90 minutes a day. Instead, the channel will show more simulcasts of the US CNN network, additional content produced in CNN’s Abu Dhabi office, and repeats of flagship Christiane Amanpour programme. Shows based in London, such as CNN Talk, will be removed entirely, with the office pivoting towards its online offering.

Most London-based roles are being relocated to Atlanta, New York and Abu Dhabi, but it is expected that many British staff will be unable or unwilling to move.

A spokesperson for CNN International said: “In the coming months, CNN International will be consolidating key parts of its production model centrally in Atlanta, in much the same way as we currently do with large parts of our programming for CNN US. This means that some jobs will shift from London to Atlanta, but overall headcount will be unchanged.”

This all comes shortly after CNN parent company Time Warner was acquired by AT&T. As a result, the newly dubbed WarnerMedia has undertaken a reappraisal of CNN, which has included changes to its production business, CNN Vision.