Layoffs hit ABC News and Disney's entertainment TV channels

ABC News and Walt Disney Co. entertainment networks are being hit with a 
6% reduction in staff amid shrinking ratings and revenue for traditional 
television.

Workers were told of the cuts Wednesday. The reduction of 200 positions is 
being made across Disney‘s television units, with news suffering the 
biggest job losses. A majority of the cuts will affect ABC News employees 
in New York.

Rumors of workforce reductions have circulated for months at the news 
division, which like other outlets has seen its audience leave TV channels 
for streaming platforms.

ABC News shed about 40 employees in a round of layoffs in October, which 
also hit the company’s TV stations for a total of 75 cuts. The reductions 
announced Wednesday will hit the network’s entertainment networks as well 
as the news division.

Almin Karamehmedovic, president of ABC News, said in a note to staff that 
the cuts are aimed at streamlining the operation and positioning it for 
the changes in the TV landscape.

“Rethinking the way we work to future-proof our team regrettably includes 
reductions to our extraordinary staff,” Karamehmedovic said. “These 
decisions are incredibly challenging and today will undoubtedly be 
difficult for our organization. ”

No on-air correspondents or anchors at ABC News will lose their jobs in 
the cutbacks, according to one person familiar with the plans who was not 
authorized to comment publicly.

ABC News will consolidate the staffs of “Good Morning America” with the 
afternoon edition of the show known as “GMA 3,” according to the Wall 
Street Journal, which was first to report the layoffs. The staffs of 
newsmagazine “20/20” and late night program “Nightline” are being 
consolidated under the ABC News Studios production unit.

ABC News is also shuttering 538, the data journalism unit Disney acquired 
from founder Nate Silver.

ABC News has long been the leader among evening news viewers with “ABC 
World News Tonight with David Muir.”

But “Good Morning America” — which has three of the highest-paid news 
hosts in TV with George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan 
— is running behind NBC’s “Today” for the first time in seven years.

In the 2024-25 season, “Today” has a slight edge over “GMA” in total 
viewers and wins a wider margin among the 25 to 54 age group preferred by 
advertisers who buy against news programming.

ABC News has also been investing in the streaming news service ABC News 
Live, which attracts younger viewers but only a fraction of the audience 
size for network TV broadcasts.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-03-
05/layoffs-hit-abc-news-20-20-and-nightline-combine-operations